Comyjinvt,  llnlfalo, 

C .P.  Dwyer,  Archf 

— 1/0*0  •>  — 

BIIFFALO.<^%> 

WAMZER  lit  KIM  & C? 

W. 


f 


(L, 


THE 


ECONOMIC 


COTTAGE  BUILDER : 

OR, 

COTTAGES  FOR  MEN  OF  SMALL  MEANS, 

ADAPTED  TO  EVERY  LOCALITY,  WITH  INSTRUCTIONS  FOR  CHOOSING 
THE  MOST  ECONOMICAL  MATERIALS  AFFORDED 
BY  THE  NEIGHBORHOOD. 


TO  WHICH  ARE  ADDED  MANY 

VALUABLE  HINTS  AND  MOST  USEFUL  OBSERVATIONS. 


ILLUSTRATED  WITH  TINTED  DESIGNS  ON  STONE. 


BY  CHARLES  P.  DWYER, 

ARCHITECT  AND  CIVIL  ENGINEER. 


BUFFALO: 

WANZER,  M5KIM  & CO. 

NEW  YORK  : J.  C.  DERBY.  BOSTON  : PHILLIPS,  SAMPSON  & CO. 

PHILADELPHIA  : J.  B.  LIPPINCOTT  & CO.  CINCINNATI  : MOORE,  'WILSTAOH,  KEYES  A CO. 
DETROIT  : KERR,  MORLEY  * CO. 

1856. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1855, 

By  WANZER,  McKIM&CO., 

In  the  Clerk’s  Office  of  the  District  Court  for  the  Northern  District  of  New  York, 


TO 


THE  toiling  millions, 

WtM*  uxt  Sm!tU’  »•»  W»Kw.  Bernes  are  ©real 

TO  POSSESS  A HOME, 

WHERE  INDUSTRY  AND  CONTENTMENT 

SHALL  EE  HOUSEHOLD  GODS, 

AXD  INDEPENDENCE  be  alljed  wjth  HAppiNEgg) 
THIS  TREATISE  IS  INSCRIBED,  BY  ITS 


author. 


Digitized  by  the  Internet  Archive 
in  2016 


https://archive.org/details/economiccottagebOOdwye 


CONTENTS 


PAKT  I. 


PAGE. 


CHAPTER  I.  Material  considered, 9 

CHAPTER  H.  The  Site, , 11 

CHAPTER  HI.  The  Foundation, 12 

CHAPTER  IY.  The  Sewer,  13 

CHAPTER  Y.  The  Basement,, 14 


PAGE. 


CHAPTER  YI.  The  Principal  Floor, 24 

CHAPTER  VII.  The  Cellar, 25 

CHAPTER  VHI.  The  Main  Walls, 26 

CHAPTER  IX.  The  Chimneys, 27 

CHAPTER  X.  The  Roof, 28 


PART  II. 


PAGE. 

CHAPTER  I.  Modes  of  Building, 29 

CHAPTER  II.  Woodwork, 30 

Pnn rvli  T.CO1 

PAGE. 

Composition  Brick,  — 37 

CHAPTER  Y.  Earthwork, - 38 

Pisd, 38 

Hewn  Log, - 32 

Frame  38 

Adob6, - 

Cob  Wall, — 42 

Plank, 33 

jjo3.rd  - 34  1 

CHAPTER  YI.  Gravelwork  or  Concrete,  ...44 
Gravel  Buildings, 44 

Pltink  on  0*1^^  34 

Roofs,  . 46 

CHAPTER  IH.  Stonework, 35 

Rubble, 35 

Cobble, 35 

CHAPTER  IY.  Brickwork, 36 

Hollow  Wall, 36 

Hollow  Bricks, 36 

CHAPTER  YH.  Internal  Arrangement  of 

Dwellings, - — 48 

CHAPTER  VHI.  Floors, 60 

CHAPTER  IX..  Cisterns, 51 

CHAPTER  X.  Estimating, 63 

CHAPTER  XI.  Hints  worth  having, 56 

PART  III. 

ILLUSTRATED  EXAMPLES. 


PAGE. 

CHAPTER  I.  Log  House, 63 

CHAPTER  H.  Log  on  End, 66 

CHAPTER  HI.  Frame,  (with brick  filling,)  ..69 

CHAPTER  IV.  Plank, 72 

CHAPTER  Y.  Plank  on  Edge, 75 

CHAPTER  YI.  Do.  do 78 

CHAPTER  VII.  Do.  do 80 

CHAPTER  Yin.  Cobble  Stone, 81 


PAGE. 

CHAPTER  IX.  Brick, 83 

CHAPTER  X.  Pisd, 85 

CHAPTER  XI.  Adob6, 86 

CHAPTER  XII.  Gravelwork  or  Concrete,. ..88 
CHAPTER  XHI.  Do.  do.  ...89 

CHAPTER  XIY.  Double  Cottages, 91 

CHAPTER  XY.  Do.  do 92 

Useful  Table, 96 


APPENDIX. 


Artificial  and  Marbloized  Granite, 
Heating  and  Ventilating, 


PAGE. 

...100 

...105 


Interior  Decoration,. 
Painting, 


PAGE. 

...110 

...118 


PREFACE. 


Within  the  last  few  years,  numerous  books  of  designs  in  Domestic 
Architecture  have  been  poured  upon  the  public,  as  if  to  make  instant 
amends  for  the  extreme  scarcity  of  any  such  monitors  in  time  gone  by. 
But,  strange  to  say,  amid  this  influx,  the  wants  of  the  great  majority 
of  our  citizens  have  been  entirely  overlooked,  in  the  feverish  anxiety  to 
suit  the  desires  of  the  smaller  or  more  wealthy  class  of  community. 

It  surely  is  not  for  men  abundantly  able  to  fee  an  architect  that 
hand-books  are  properly  intended;  it  is  rather  for  the  benefit  of  those 
whose  means  will  not  allow  them  to  procure  professional  assistance,  and 
yet  whose  tastes  are  as  worthy  of  being  gratified,  even  in  an  humble 
manner.  Exclusively  to  the  latter  is  this  book  devoted;  that,  by 
pointing  out  how  simple  a thing  is  true  beauty,  the  man  of  humbler 
means  may,  in  his  tiny  cottage-homestead,  enjoy  the  satisfaction  of 
having  secured  it,  when  his  aristocratic  neighbor,  after  a profuse 
expenditure,  still  sighs  for  it  in  vain. 

There  is  no  maxim  more  shunned  than  that  which,  in  architecture, 
forbids  the  excess  of  ornamentation ; for  the  rich  man  loves  to  display 
his  wealth,  at  the  expense  of  good  taste,  upon  his  walls.  The  man  of 
humble  means,  on  the  other  hand,  not  having  the  power  to  make  a 
gaudy  show,  is  but  too  often  led  to  neglect  even  the  little  field  for  fancy 
which  is  left  him,  and  hence  the  insipid  appearance  of  our  villages 
with  houses  gorgeous  or  meagre  in  design  standing  forth  in  striking 
contrast  to  each  other  and  palpably  denoting  the  total  want  of  anything 
like  true  taste  in  their  outline  or  finish. 


8 


PREFACE. 


The  object  of  this  work  is  not  alone  to  point  out  the  most  practical 
method  of  obtaining  so  desirable  a thino;  as  a homestead,  but  to  make 

O O' 

it,  by  proportion  and  judicious  ornament,  a thing  worthy  of  notice  from 
the  wayfarer,  and  a satisfaction  to  the  tasteful  possessor. 

If  any  advantage  shall  be  derived  from  its  instructions  and  hints,  by 
the  class  for  which  this  book  is  intended,  the  desire  of  its  author  will  be 
happily  satisfied. 

C.  P.  D. 

w Buffalo,  N.  Y.,  August,  1855. 


THE 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


3?  _A_  R T I . 


CHAPTEK  I. 

MATERIAL  CONSIDERED. 

The  material  which  is  easiest  of  access  is  tlie  most 
economical;  and,  as  localities  differ  widely  in  this  respect, 
it  will  be  our  first  duty  to  consider  the  readiest  and  cheapest 
to  be  had  in  each  place. 

In  some  localities  (as  on  our  prairies)  wood  can  not  be  had 
for  building  purposes;  but  stone  may  abound.  In  others, 
stone  as  well  as  wood  may  be  wanting,  yet  gravel  and  sand 
can  be  easily  procured.  And  again,  all  these  materials  may 
be  out  of  immediate  reach,  but  the  clay  fit  for  making  brick 
might  be  plentiful.  Thus,  every  locality  possesses  its  material 
for  building,  and  the  one  thing  desirable  is  a knowledge  of 
the  best  method  of  applying  it  to  the  purposes  of  building. 
Such  a knowledge  would  often  put  the  poor  man  in  possession 
of  a very  desirable  homestead,  in  which  economy,  space,  and 
arrangement,  might  make  up  a cottage  which  would  at  once 
be  a comfort  to  dwell  in,  and  a pleasure  to  look  upon. 


10 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


There  is  no  location  in  which  man  may  be  placed,  that  he 
may  not  have  the  material  presented  by  the  judicious  and 
bountiful  hand  of  nature  to  provide  himself  with  a shelter; 
neither  is  there  any  position  in  which  fortune  may  place  him 
that  he  can  not  exercise  his  taste  and  skill,  be  they  ever  so 
small,  in  making  the  utmost  out  of  the  means  given  him. 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


11 


CHAPTEB  II. 

THE  SITE. 

Much  depends  on  the  selection  of  a site  for  a dwelling. 
Health,  and  accompanying  happiness,  are  its  most  natural 
consequences.  Eor,  if  the  ground  lies  low,  it  is  hard  to 
drain  it,  and,  in  damp  weather,  exhalations  are  constantly 
around  it,  settling  on  the  lungs  of  such  as  are  unfortunately 
forced  to  breathe  such  air,  and  generating  pulmonary  com- 
plaints in  a thousand  forms. 

To  the  laboring  classes,  this  is  a subject  of  paramount 
importance;  for,  health  is  capital  to  them,  and  the  first 
stroke  of  sickness  is  the  harbinger  of  ruin  to  a dependent 
family. 

The  site  should  therefore  be  as  elevated  as  possible,  that 
the  drainage  may  be  complete.  If  there  be  a choice  of 
aspect,  an  eastern  one  should  be  chosen,  so  that  the  rising 
sun  may  throw  its  first  rays  upon  your  cottage  porch,  to 
enliven  you  to  your  daily  toil,  and  may  leave  his  golden 
blessing  with  you  as  he  sinks  at  evening  into  his  purple 
cushion  in  the  west. 


12 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


CHAPTER  III. 

THE  FOUNDATION. 

The  material  composing  tlie  foundation  is  dependent  on 
that  of  which  the  walls  of  the  superstructure  are  to  be 
formed. 

In  case  the  cottage  is  to  be  of  wood,  or  even  brick  stud 
walls,  then  the  foundation  may  be  of  fir-posts,  set  in  the 
ground  three  or  four  feet  deep,  previously  charred  over  a fire 
of  chips,  and  six  feet  apart  from  each  other,  sustaining  a 
framed  sill  of  dimensions  proportionate  to  the  size  of  the 
cottage. 

But  if  the  walls  are  to  be  of  stone,  brick,  adobe,  or  com- 
position, then  the  foundation  must  be  of  stone  or  concrete. 

In  the  latter  case,  trenches  are  to  be  cut  exactly  as  wide 
as  the  required  thickness  of  the  foundation,  which,  for  a 
one  story  cottage,  may  be  sixteen  inch  ?s. 

The  foundations  should  never  be  less  than  three  feet  below 
the  surface  of  the  ground,  so  as  to  be  out  of  the  power  of 
the  frost,  and  not  less  than  two  feet  above  the  surface  of  the 
ground,  so  as  to  keep  the  floor  of  the  cottage  sufficiently 
high  to  be  free  from  ground  damp  in  spring,  arising  from  the 
melting  of  snow-drifts. 

In  the  cutting  of  the  trenches,  above  spoken  of,  the  sewer 
should  be  likewise  cut,  care  being  taken  to  give  it  a sufficient 
fall  to  the  rear  of  the  lot  where  the  privy  vault  is  sunk. 

In  case  the  soil  is  sandy,  planks  must  be  put  in  to  form  a 
mould,  and  withdrawn  when  the  sewer  is  finished. 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


13 


CHAPTER  IV. 

THE  SEWER. 

The  trench  for  the  sewer  being  cut  to  its  termination,  a 
round  stick  of  any  light  wood  not  less  than  eight  inches  in 
diameter,  and  say  three  feet  long,  is  to  be  fixed  loosely 
therein,  and  a composition  of  six  parts  sand  to  one  part  of 
hydraulic  lime,  mixed  with  as  little  hot  water  as  will  blend  it 
stiffly,  thrown  in,  until  the  round  stick  or  mould  is  perfectly 
covered,  not  less  than  two  inches  thick  at  its  thinnest  part. 
When  the  composition  has  had  a few  hours  to  set,  the  mould 
is  to  be  drawn  forward,  leaving  a few  inches  of  it  in,  so  as  to 
connect  the  next  length  of  composition  with  the  preceding  one, 
and  so  on  with  the  other  lengths,  until  the  sewer  is  complete. 

It  is  then  to  be  covered  over  with  the  earth  previously 
cut  from  the  trench,  and  no  water  to  be  run  through  it  foi 
a week,  when  it  will  be  perfectly  hard. 

In  order  to  keep  the  round  stick,  or  mould,  from  the  sides 
and  bottom  of  the  trench,  it  is  only  required  to  have  a square 
board  at  either  end  of  it,  with  a hole  in  the  middle  in  which 
the  mould  may  rest. 

The  round  form  of  sewer  here  recommended  will  be  found 
to  be  the  best  that  can  be  used  for  the  purpose;  for,  there 
being  no  angles  to  collect  mud  or  dirt,  the  sewer  can  never 
be  choked.  The  other  forms  are  the  square  and  the  V. 

When  the  sewer  is  built  of  burnt  brick,  hydraulic  lime 
should  be  used,  and  the  bottom  pargetted,  or  made  smooth 
with  plaster. 


14 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


CHAPTER  Y. 

THE  BASEMENT. 

We  now  approach  a subject  of  the  deepest  interest  to  the 
community,  and  one  that  should  be  well  pondered  on  by  the 
man  about  to  build:  that  is,  the  formation  of  cellars  under 
habitations.  To  do  justice  to  a question  of  so  much  impor- 
tance, we  will  here  quote  the  excellent  article  in  Dr. 
Buchanan’s  Journal  of  Man , Volume  IV.,  No.  6,  entitled, 
“ Consumption  and  Architecture : ” 

I believe  that  an  immense  amount  of  disease  has  been 
produced,  and  is  still  being  produced,  in  our  country,  by  a 
very  common  and  flagrant  neglect  of  the  laws  of  health  in 
the  construction  of  our  dwellings.  I need  not  attempt  to 
prove  that  human  health  depends  largely  upon  the  enjoyment 
of  a fresh,  uncontaminated  atmosphere.  It  is  not  sufficient 
that  the  atmosphere  should  be  merely  free  from  any  offensive 
substances  which  the  chemist  can  detect;  for  the  atmospheric 
causes  of  cholera,  yellow  fever,  and  eruptive  diseases,  have 
not  yet  been  satisfactorily  detected;  and  every  one  knows 
that  an  atmosphere  may  be  charged  with  most  offensive  and 
deleterious  exhalations,  which  he  can  recognize  by  the  sense 
of  smell,  when  they  are  altogether  inappreciable  by  chemical 
analysis. 

In  building  our  houses,  we  desire  to  place  them  as  remote 
as  possible  from  filthy  exhalations  and  all  decaying  substances. 
But  too  little  attention  is  given  to  the  fact  that  the  unwhole- 
some exhalations  which  affect  the  atmosphere  and  become  a 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


15 


source  of  endemic  and  epidemic  diseases,  are  more  concen- 
trated near  the  surface  of  the  earth,  and  that,  if  we  wish  to 
escape  their  influence,  we  should  occupy  the  most  elevated 
apartments  possible.  Houses  of  but  a single  story  in  height, 
in  which  the  inhabitants  sleep  but  two,  three,  or  four  feet 
above  the  surface  of  the  surrounding  country,  must  necessa- 
rily expose  their  occupants  to  the  terrestrial  exhalations,  of 
whatever  character  they  may  be.  Sleeping  apartments  on 
the  ground  floor  are  highly  objectionable  anywhere,  but 
especially  so  in  cities.  Yet,  if  these  are  bad,  underground 
apartments  are  far  worse,  and  should  never  be  tolerated  in 
human  habitations.  Those  who  are  driven  by  poverty  to 
occupy  such  localities,  would  far  better  occupy  the  poorest 
garret  they  can  find,  above  the  vapors  of  the  street.  If  our 
population  could  be  impressed  with  the  importance  of  appro- 
priating the  highest  apartments  in  their  houses  to  sleeping 
chambers,  it  would  have  a material  effect  in  retarding  the 
spread  of  epidemics. 

Dr.  Bush  informs  us  that,  during  the  prevalence  of  the 
yellow  fever  in  Philadelphia,  those  who  occupied  apartments 
in  the  third  story  were  far  less  liable  to  attacks  than  those 
who  resided  lower.  Any  one  who  will  pass  frequently  from  a 
ground  floor  apartment,  on  a street  or  alley,  to  the  third  or 
fourth  story,  will  satisfy  himself  of  the  great  difference  in  the 
purity  or  impurity  of  the  atmosphere,  in  the  higher  and  lower 
localities. 

But  while  I would  insist  upon  the  importance  of  a lofty 
location  for  residence,  and  a lofty  place  of  sleeping,  there  is  a 
matter  of  much  more  importance  to  which  I would  call  the  at- 
tention of  those  who  are  building  houses.  Air,  to  be  pure  and 


16 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


healthy,  requires  continual  circulation.  Whenever  confined 
upon  any  spot  on  the  surface  of  the  earth,  it  becomes  satu- 
rated with  the  exhalations  of  the  substances  with  which  it 
is  in  contact;  and,  as  much  of  these  are  usually  of  a vege- 
table or  organic  structure,  their  gradual  decomposition,  and 
the  decomposition  of  their  exhalations,  produces  a state  of 
the  air  which  is  injurious  to  health.  The  surface  of  the 
earth  is  full  of  organic  materials  and  remnants  of  vegeta- 
tion; and,  even  where  we  do  not  at  once  recognize  vegetable 
growth,  minute  plants,  producing  some  species  of  mould,  are 
often  present.  It  is,  therefore,  certain  that  confined  air,  un- 
less it  be  confined  by  dry,  vitreous,  or  mineral  surfaces,  is 
impure  air.  Not  only  is  it  noxious  in  consequence  of  the 
exhalations  and  putrefactions  it  contains,  but  also  in  conse- 
quence of  its  being  deprived  of  the  beneficent  influence  of 
the  sun.  That  it  is  colder,  and  somewhat  defective  in  positive 
electricity,  are  not  the  only  defects.  There  are  peculiar 
qualities  imparted  by  the  solar  light,  which  are  neither 
calorific  nor  electric,  but  which  have  a powerful  influence 
on  vegetation,  and  upon  sensitive  human  constitutions. 
Beichenbach’s  experiments  on  the  od  force>  and  my  own  ex- 
periments in  the  relations  of  the  human  constitution  to  light, 
prove  that  the  most  refrangible  rays  are  of  great  importance 
to  animal  and  vegetable  life.  Of  this  influence,  confined  air 
is  deprived;  hence,  whenever  dwellings  are  so  constructed 
as  to  provide  places  where  the  air  shall  be  confined  in  dark, 
cold,  uncleanly  situations,  the  best  arrangements  are  made 
for  the  gradual  production  of  disease.  Even  the  effects  of 
shade  alone,  where  ventilation  is  not  excluded,  are  known  to 
be  injurious. 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


17 


The  effects  of  a small  portion  of  such  air  upon  the  human 
constitution  are  not  so  prompt  and  alarming  as  those  of 
marsh  miasma,  and  are,  therefore,  seldom  noticed  or  referred 
to  their  proper  sources.  The  noxious  air  generated  in  cellars, 
basements,  and  under-floor  spaces,  reaches  the  inhabitants  of 
upper  apartments  in  so  small  quantities  that,  instead  of 
producing  any  marked  and  sudden  process  of  disease,  it 
operates,  rather,  as  a steady  tax  upon  the  income  of  health, 
so  uniform  in  its  depressing  effects  as  not  to  be  appreciated. 
Yet,  many  an  invalid  who  fancies  himself  improved  by  a 
change  of  air,  in  going  to  another  residence,  is  really  relieved 
by  escaping  from  the  mouldy  atmosphere  which  comes  from 
beneath  his  own  ground-floor. 

Perhaps  the  majority  of  American  houses  are  constructed, 
in  this  respect,  in  defiance  of  the  laws  of  health.  Either  a 
cellar  is  dug,  or  the  house  is  one,  two,  or  three  feet  above 
the  surface  of  the  earth.  The  cellar,  even  if  it  be  walled 
and  paved,  is  a damp,  dark,  mouldy  place,  which  has  scarcely 
any  ventilation,  and  no  sunshine.  Even  the  befct  cellars, 
which  are  walled  and  paved,  and  kept  free  from  decaying 
vegetables,  rotten  timber,  and  other  mouldy  lumber,  are 
often  places  which  no  one  can  enter  without  perceiving  that 
he  is  in  the  midst  of  a damp,  unwholesome,  and  oppressive 
atmosphere,  the  influence  of  which  is  at  once  depressing  upon 
the  lungs  and  upon  the  general  vitality,  from  which  one 
emerges  into  the  sunlight  and  open  air  as  if  escaping  from 
purgatory.  How  often,  in  passing  along  the  streets  of  a 
crowded  city,  do  we  receive  from  mouldy  cellars  a blast  of 
air  inexpressibly  offensive ; and  how  can  they  who  live  above 


9, 


18 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


such  cellars,  daily  inhaling  small  portions  of  such  an  atmos- 
phere, escape  its  deleterious  effects? 

That  the  human  race  degenerates  in  damp,  subterranean 
apartments,  no  one  will  doubt  who  observes  the  population 
of  our  large  cities;  and  they  who  live  immediately  over 
cellars  must  suffer  the  same  deleterious  effects,  just  in  pro- 
portion as  they  inhale  the  cellar  atmosphere.  That  such  an 
atmosphere  is  calculated  to  produce  scrofula  and  consump- 
tion was  shown  by  the  experiments  of  a French  physician, 
M.  Coster.  In  several  series  of  parallel  experiments,  made 
upon  dogs,  rabbits,  and  chickens,  fed  upon  exactly  the  same 
diet-— one  set  exposed  to  the  open  air  and  sunshine,  the  other 
confined  in  dark,  damp,  and  cold  places— he  found  that,  while 
the  former  set  maintained  entire  health,  the  latter,  with  ex- 
actly the  same  diet,  uniformly  became  consumptive,  tubercles 
being  developed  in  their  lungs.  The  laws  of  the  human 
constitution  being  the  same,  we  are  authorized  to  affirm  that 
the  impure  atmosphere  which  belongs  to  dark,  damp,  subter- 
ranean habitations,  where  ventilation  is  neglected,  is  directly 
productive  of  consumption. 

The  common  sense  of  mankind  has  condemned  cellars  as  a 
place  of  human  residence ; but,  in  a mitigated  form,  the  evil 
still  exists  to  an  immense  extent.  Basement  stories  de- 
pressed from  one  to  five  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  earth, 
imperfectly  lighted  and  ventilated,  and  having  walls  always 
more  or  less  damp,  if  not  mouldy,  are  still  commonly  occupied 
as  apartments  and  offices,  notwithstanding  the  strong  testi- 
mony of  experience  against  their  use.  In  Louisville,  where 
basements  were  formerly  much  in  fashion,  they  are  now  sel- 
dom constructed.  In  Cincinnati,  also,  basement  stories  have 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


19 


generally  given  way  to  cellars.  My  own  experience,  as  well 
as  that  of  my  friends,  is  very  decided  against  their  use.  The 
late  Prof.  M.,  who  occnpied  an  office  in  a basement  story, 
about  two  feet  below  the  surface  of  the  earth,  with  a paved 
area  around  it  upon  the  same  level,  by  which  the  walls  were 
removed  from  contact  with  the  surrounding  earth,  constituting 
the  best  possible  example  of  a basement  story,  eagerly 
removed  to  another  location,  and  informed  me  that  he  would 
never,  on  any  account,  again  occupy  a basement  office.  Prof. 

and  his  brother,  who  occupied  a basement  story  of  the 
common  character,  as  an  office,  found  it  so  unwholesome, 
(producing  bronchial  and  pulmonary  diseases,)  as  to  compel 
them  to  build  an  office  above  ground.  The  intelligent 
principal  of  our  city  high  school,  whose  health  has  been 
materially  undermined  by  severe  pulmonary  disease,  informs 
me  that  he  attributed  it  to  his  engagements  in  his  occupation 
as  a teacher  in  a low  basement  school-room.  My  own  expe- 
rience upon  this  subject  was  so  decisive  as  to  compel  me, 
when  occupying  a residence  with  large  basement  apartments, 
with  the  usual  damp  walls,  which  had  previously  been  occu- 
pied as  an  office  and  for  servants,  to  keep  it  entirely  vacant, 
although  a teacher  was  desirous  to  rent  it  for  a school.  I 
regarded  the  basement  as  a positive  injury  to  the  house, 
being  not  only  a waste  of  space,  but  a source  of  noxious  air, 
from  which  it  was  difficult  to  protect  our  children. 

I am  firmly  convinced  that,  as  places  of  human  occupation, 
basements  should  be  entirely  abolished,  and  cellars  should 
share  the  same  fate.  My  reason  for  insisting  upon  their 
entire  abolition  is,  that  although  we  may  partially  escape 
their  evils  by  living  above  them,  we  can  not  entirely  cut  off 


20 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


the  communication  between  our  apartments  and  the  cellars 
and  basement  beneath.  The  offensive  air  will  ascend  through 
crevices  in  the  floor,  through  doors,  windows  and  stairways, 
and  will  infect  the  area  about  the  house.  Some  houses  are 
so  constructed  that  the  occupants  of  the  lower  apartments 
are  but  little  better  off  than  the  inhabitants  of  the  cellars 
and  basements;  wherever  the  cellar  communicates  with  the 
chambers  and  halls  above  by  an  inside  doorway,  the  atmos- 
phere of  the  cellar  will  be  continually  ascending  to  the  upper 
part  of  the  house,  and  the  inhabitants  of  the  lower  apart- 
ments of  the  house  will  be  habitually  breathing  the  noxious 
cellar  atmosphere.  Some  years  ago,  when  occupying  one  of 
the  most  spacious  and  delightful  residences  in  this  city,  I 
found  it  in  the  most  deplorable  condition  from  this  very 
cause.  The  entire  space  under  the  house,  nearly  fifty  feet 
square,  was  occupied  by  large  cellars,  which  had  but  the 
usual  amount  of  cellar  ventilation,  the  atmosphere  being 
damp  and  mouldy,  and  the  sunshine  excluded.  This  immense 
reservoir  of  cellar  atmosphere  had  free  communication  with 
the  halls  above,  by  an  interior  stairway,  the  door  of  which, 
when  closed,  did  not  exclude  the  passage  of  the  air.  The 
ordinary  winds  and  changes  of  the  weather  drove  the  cellar 
atmosphere  into  the  house,  and  the  cellar  door  being  on  the 
eastern  side,  the  entire  eastern  half  of  the  building  acquired 
a damp  and  mouldy  atmosphere  from  the  cellar.  A long  hall, 
twelve  feet  wide,  prevented  the  passage  of  the  mouldiness  to 
the  western  part  of  the  building,  except  in  very  damp  weather, 
when  the  whole  house  seemed  partially  affected. 

The  oppressive-  and  offensive  character  of  this  cellar  exha- 
lation, although  due  attention  was  given  to  cleanliness,  was 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


21 


such  that,  on  entering  the  western  door  of  the  house,  I could 
instantly  determine,  by  the  atmosphere  of  the  hall,  whether 
the  cellar  door  had  been  left  open  or  closed. 

This  house,  one  of  the  oldest  residences  in  the  city,  had 
always  been  occupied  by  persons  of  wealth  and  intelligence, 
whose  vigorous  constitutions  gave  no  slight  guarantee  of 
health ; yet  a large  portion  of  its  former  inhabitants  either 
died  of  pulmonary  diseases,  or  suffered  severely  from  their 
attacks.  The  majority  of  two  generations  died  of  consump- 
tion, and  I believe  the  third  generation,  now  living,  would 
have  shared  the  same  fate  had  they  been  confined  to  the 
same  residence.  My  own  family  suffered  from  pulmonary 
derangement ; one  manifesting  a slight  tuberculous  tendency, 
and  I experienced,  myself,  the  severest  pulmonary  attack  I 
had  ever  known,  although  I adopted  the  precaution  of  occu- 
pying the  most  remote  room  from  the  source  of  disease. 
The  entire  disappearance  of  our  unfavorable  symptoms  since 
removing  to  a healthier  residence,  gave  additional  evidence 
of  their  source.  ~ 

While  I would  condemn  cellars  and  basements  entirely, 
the  common* plan  of  building,  in  their  absence,  must  be 
condemned  also.  The  house  being  built  above  the  surface 
of  the  earth,  a space  is  left  between  the  lower  floor  and  the 
ground,  which  is  even  closer  and  darker  than  a cellar,  and 
which  becomes,  on  a smaller  scale,  the  source  of  noxious 
emanations.  Under-floor  spaces  should  be  abolished,  as 
well  as  cellars  and  basements.  The  plan  that  I have  adopted 
with  the  most  satisfactory  success,  to  avoid  all  these  evils, 
is  the  following:  Let  the  house  be  built  entirely  above  the 
ground;  let  the  lower  floor  be  built  upon  the  surface  of  the 


22 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


earth,  at  least  as  high  as  the  surrounding  soil.  If  filled  up 
with  any  clean  material,  a few  inches  above  the  surrounding 
earth,  it  would  be  better.  A proper  foundation  being  pre- 
pared, make  your  first  floor  by  a pavement  of  brick,  laid  in 
hydraulic  cement,  upon  the  surface  of  the  ground.  Let  the 
same  be  extended  into  your  walls,  so  as  to  cut  off  the  walls 
of  your  house  with  water-proof  cement,  from  all  communica- 
tion with  the  moisture  of  the  surrounding  earth.  Upon  this 
foundation,  build  according  to  your  fancy.  Your  lower  floor 
will  be  perfectly  dry — impenetrable  to  moisture  and  to  ver- 
min; not  a single  animal  can  get  a lodging  in  your  lower 
story. 

The  dry  brick  floor  will  answer  for  the  purposes  to  which 
lower  stories  are  usually  devoted,  but  a wooden  floor  may  be 
laid  directly  upon  the  brick,  if  you  prefer  it;  or  if  you  wish 
a smoother  surface,  the  bricks  may  be  plastered  over  with 
hydraulic  cement,  making  a perfectly  solid  and  smooth  floor, 
wdien  it  has  hardened.  Painting  the  brick  floor  will  improve 
it  by  preventing  any  absorption  of  moisture  from  the  air. 

By  adopting  this  plan,  your  house  will  be  dry  and  cleanly; 
the  atmosphere  of  your  ground  floor  will  be  fresh  and  pure ; 
you  will  be  entirely  relieved  from  that  steady  drain  upon  life 
wdiich  is  produced  by  basements  and  cellars;  and  if  you 
appropriate  the  ground  floor  to  purposes  of  store-rooms, 
kitchen,  etc.,  you  will  find  that  the  dry  apartments  thus 
constructed  are  infinitely  superior  to  the  old  basements  and 
cellars.  And  if  you  place  your  sitting  and  sleeping  rooms  on 
the  second  and  third  floors,  you  will  be  as  thoroughly  exempt 
from  local  miasma  as  architecture  can  make  you.  An 
additional  advantage  will  be  derived  from  the  dryness  of 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


23 


the  walls,  according  to  the  theory  of  Sir  J.  Murray.  Much 
of  the  miasmatic  influence  of  unhealthy  localities  he  ascribes 
to  the  frequent  passage  of  currents  of  electricity  between 
the  earth  and  the  clouds.  The  dryer  the  walls  of  the  house 
are  made,  the  nearer  it  approaches  to  that  insulated  condition 
which  he  considers  necessary  as  a preventive  against  what 
has  been  regarded  as  local  miasma. 

If  all  the  interior  of  the  walls  of  an  apartment  were  painted 
or  papered,  and  varnished,  so  as  to  be  incapable  of  imbibing 
moisture,  if  would  be  a valuable  addition  to  the  healthfulness 
of  the  room.  Wall's  kept  moist  by  leaks  or  otherwise,  and 
thus  subject  to  constant  evaporation,  are  prolific  sources  of 
colds.  Every  one  knows  how  dangerous  it  is  to  sleep  in  a 
freshly  plastered  apartment,  or  even  when  the  walls  are  ap- 
parently dry , if  they  are  not  really  and  thoroughly  desiccated. 

Absolute  dryness  of  wmlls,  ceilings,  and  floors,  and  a free 
circulation  of  air  and  light,  are  matters  which  a builder 
should  consider  essential  in  every  apartment  for  human 
beings. 


24 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

THE  FIRST  OR  PRINCIPAL  FLOOR. 

When  tlie  foundation  walls  have  been  carried  up  two  or 
three  feet  above  the  level  of  the  ground,  let  the  inclosed 
space  be  filled  up  with  dry  rubbish  to  the  level  of  the  under 
side  of  the  flooring  joists.  It  would  be  advisable  to  ram 
this  rubbish  filling  until  it  is  sufficiently  hard;  a coat  of 
broken  stone  and  gravel  is  then  to  be  spread  over  it,  and 
the  whole  to  have  poured  over  it  sand,  lime,  and  water,  in 
the  proportion  of  twenty  of  sand  to  one  of  lime,  diluted  with 
as  little  water  as  is  necessary  to  make  a thick  mixture. 
When  this  cement  floor  or  coating  is  perfectly  hard,  the 
joists  may  be  laid  upon  it,  and  the  space  between  joists  may 
be  then  filled  up  flush  with  the  same  composition.  By  this 
means,  a healthful,  durable,  and  powerful  floor  will  be  formed, 
meeting  all  the  requisites  spoken  of  by  Dr.  Buchanan,  and 
quoted  in  the  foregoing  chapter. 

And  here  we  would  observe,  that  the  extra  cost  of  this 
filling-in  will  be  more  than  balanced  by  the  saving  of  doc- 
tors’ charges,  and  a vast  amount  of  comfort  acquired  in  the 
freedom  from  vermin  which  such  a plan  insures. 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


25 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  CELLAR. 

As  a cellar  is  one  of  the  greatest  comforts  attached  to  a 
house,  and  we  have  strongly  advised  the  abolition  of  the 
old  pernicious  system  of  underground  vaults,  so  called,  we 
will  here  recommend  the  building  of  cellars  over  ground,  in 
the  rear  of  the  house. 

The  foundation  of  such  a cellar  may  be  of  stone  or  con- 
crete, and  the  walls  be  formed  of  adobe  or  sun-dried  brick, 
twelve  inches  thick,  not  over  five  feet  in  height. 

There  should  be  two  small  windows,  provided  with  double 
sash.  The  door  should  be  two  inches  thick,  set  in  a stout 
frame,  on  a stone  sill.  The  outside  of  this  door  might  be 
sheeted  with  tin  for  two  feet  high. 

The  roof  should  have  a pitch  equal  to  one-half  of  its  span, 
and  be  carefully  boarded  and  covered  with  tarred  brown 
paper,  and  then  sodded. 

The  concrete  or  stone  foundation  should  be  carried  up  two 
feet  above  ground,  and  this,  with  the  precaution  of  tinning 
the  door  above  referred  to,  will  be  an  effectual  barrier  to 
the  entrance  of  vermin. 

The  floor  should  be  composition,  similar  to  that  in  the  house ; 
and  this,  as  well  as  assisting  materially  in  preventing  the  in- 
roads of  nuisances  just  mentioned,  will  give  coolness  to  the  at- 
mosphere: a most  desirable  object  in  the  formation  of  cellars. 

The  walls  may  be  plastered  on  inside,  and  rough  casted  on 
outside.  The  roof  of  this  cellar  should  project  two  feet 
beyond  the  face  of  the  walls,  to  protect  them  from  wet. 


26 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER* 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

THE  MAIN  WALLS. 

Whatever  be  tlie  material  of  which  the  walls  of  a cottage 
are  to  be  composed,  they  should  in  all  cases  be  powerfully 
strong,  as  the  slightest  tremor  or  shake  in  them  will  crack 
the  inside  plastering  on  them,  and  also  crack  the  ceiling: 
thus  involving  expense  and  discomfort  on  account  of  neglect 
in  this  one  respect. 

The  main  walls  should  be  well  calculated  to  keep  in  heat, 
and  keep  out  cold;  and  to  secure  this  most  desirable  property, 
it  is  only  necessary  to  leave  a narrow  space  to  let  the  warm 
or  cold  air  circulate  through,  instead  of  permitting  them  to 
penetrate  the  whole  wall  without  any  interruption  whatever. 

In  order  to  avoid  the  inroads  of  vermin  which  such  space 
in  the  walls  might  give  room  to,  it  is  only  necessary  to  make 
from  the  floor,  ten  inches  up,  solid;  as  it  is  at  the  floor  line, 
in  all  cases,  that  rats  or  mice  penetrate  the  wall. 

Where  the  walls  are  solid,  without  furring  on  the  inside, 
the  outside  is  to  be  coated  with  cement  of  some  description. 

In  places  where  joists  are  to  bear,  wall-timbers  must  be 
introduced. 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


27 


CHAPTER  IX. 

THE  CHIMNEYS. 

The  middle  of  the  house  is  undoubtedly  the  best  locution 
for  the  chimney,  as  it  insures  economy  of  heat : none  being 
lost,  as  would  be  the  case  if  the  back  of  the  chimney  was  on 
the  outside  wall. 

The  flues  should  be  curved  gently  in  the  form  of  an  S, 
instead  of  having  them  perpendicular.  By  this  means  the 
draft  will  be  good,  the  heat  have  a longer  passage  through 
the  wall,  and  the  wind  outside  can  not  puff  the  smoke  down 
further  than  the  bend.  In  this  arrangement,  the  fireplace  or 
stove-pipe  thimble  may  be  placed  anywhere  in  the  division 
wall  of  the  apartment.  For  the  same  reason  that  it  is  advisa- 
ble to  have  the  chimney  in  the  middle  of  the  house,  it  is  like- 
wise necessary  that  the  fireplace  be  in  the  middle  wall  also. 

By  building  a metal  plate  into  the  back  of  the  fireplace, 
heat  may  be  given  into  the  room  adjoining,  when  there  is  a 
fire  in  the  parlor  or  front  room. 

The  flues  (where  there  is  no'  fireplace)  should  have  a small 
chamber  at  the  bottom  of  them,  to  receive  the  soot,  and  this 
chamber  should  have  a metal  drawer  in  it,  by  which  the  soot 
could  at  any  time  be  drawn  off.  It  should  be  set  at  the  base 
of  the  chimney. 

The  additional  weight  of  the  chimney-stack  is  so  much 
more  than  that  of  the  walls  that  it  is  very  necessary  to  have 
the  foundation  under  it  proportionably  strong;  so  that  there 
must  be  an  offset  of  not  less  than  four  inches  in  the  founda- 
tion beyond  the  faces  of  the  superstructure. 


28 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


CHAPTER  X. 

THE  ROOF. 

Circumstances  will  govern  the  material  of  which  roofs  are 
composed,  as  well  as  that  of  which  walls  are  formed;  for,  if 
lumber  be  dear  in  the  locality,  boards  and  shingles  must 
necessarily  be  expensive.  Slate  may,  in  certain  places,  prove 
the  cheapest,  as  it  is  undoubtedly  the  best,  of  coverings. 
Copper,  tin,  and  zinc  are  each  expensive  in  any  place,  and 
therefore  can  not  be  thought  of  by  the  builder  who  seeks 
economy. 

Avery  cheap  roofing  may  be  made  with  brown  paper  steeped 
in  boiling  tar  and  chalk,  and  laid  carefully  on  matched  boards. 

Another  cheap  roofing  may  be  composed  of  water-lime, 
gand,  common  lime,  and  gravel,  in  the  following  proportions: 


Gravel, 20  parts. 

Sand, 10  “ 

Common  Lime, 5 “ 

Water  Lime, 2 “ 


Mix  it  to  a stiff  consistence  with  a little  hot  water.  Put 
it  on  boards  or  laths.  If  on  the  former,  slips  or  laths  ought 
to  be  nailed  on  at  distances  of  not  less  than  four  inches  from 
each  other,  to  give  a hold  to  the  composition.  Three  inches, 
at  least,  should  be  the  thickness.  Coarse  brown  paper  has 
been  proved  to  be  an  excellent  thing  to  lay  the  roof  with, 
and  when  coated  with  lime,  sand,  tar,  and  chalk,  has  stood 
the  weather  in  temperate  and  in  northern  latitudes  for  forty 
years,  without  injury  to  the  roof  thus  protected. 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


29 


3?  A.  R T II. 


CHAPTER  I. 

MODES  OF  BUILDING-. 

We  will  now  review  respectively  the  various  modes  of 
building  wbicli  the  circumstances  of  location  will  necessarily 
demand.  They  are,  Wood -work,  Stone- work,  Brick- work, 
Barth-work,  Gravel-work  or  Concrete . 

In  each  of  these  modes  of  building,  the  main  object  is  to 
combine  durability  and  comfort  with  strict  economy. 

The  main  work  of  the  dwelling  is  alone  spoken  of;  the 
interior  finish  is  left  altogether  to  the  proprietor,  who  can 
best  judge  how  far  his  purse  can  go  to  accomplish  the  wants 
that  fancy  or  taste  may  dictate.  He  is  here  presented  with 
the  shell  of  his  cottage,  at  a cost  supposed  to  be  suitable  to 
his  means.  The  actual  amount  of  such  cost  we  will  endeavor 
to  put  him  in  the  way  of  accurately  estimating,  by  his 
attending  to  the  tables  and  instructions  at  the  end  of  this 
treatise. 


30 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


CHAPTER  II. 

AV  O O D W O R K. 

This  mode  of  building,  so  common  to  almost  all  parts  of 
tlie  continent  of  America,  may  be  divided  into  the  following 
styles : 

Rough  Log.  The  backwoodsman  has  recourse  to  this  as 
his  earliest  homestead,  when  first  he  clears  a space  in  his 
bush-land  purchase ; and  a good  purpose  it  has  served,  still 
serves,  and  will  continue  to  serve,  when  sawmills  and 
carpenters  are  far  out  of  reach,  and  the  ax  and  the  hand-saw 
are  the  chief  tools  of  the  isolated  builder.  The  straightest 
and  soundest  trunks  are,  of  course,  the  most  desirable,  and 
their  thickness  should  be  as  uniform  as  possible.  It  is  only 
necessary  to  nick  each  stick  within  a foot  or  so  of  its  end, 
with  the  ax,  and  to  hatch  each  tier  down  on  the  other  at  the 
four  angles.  Seven  such  tiers,  or  eight  feet,  will  be  a suffi- 
cient height  for  the  walls.  The  interstices  should  be  filled  in 
with  mud  mixed  with  grass  or  wild  hay.  These  log  walls 
should  be  firmly  set  upon  stakes  or  piles  driven  into  the 
ground  at  three  or  four  feet  apart,  and  the  floor  should  be 
two  feet  from  the  ground.  In  places  where  sawmills  are  not 
yet  erected,  a very  good  temporary  floor  may  be  formed  thus 

Cut  the  straightest  pine  or  cedar  logs  of  the  length 
requisite  for  joists,  and  place  them  close  up  to  each  other 
over  the  whole  house;  then  fill  in  between  with  ashes,  clay, 
and  sand  or  gravel,  mixed  up  very  well  with  water  into  a very 
tough  mortar,  in  which  wild  hay,  rushes,  stalks,  or  twigs  may 
be  incorporated.  This  plaster  may  be  leveled  over,  and  made 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


31 


to  look  very  smooth  and  well.  If  a few  bnshels  of  lime 
could  be  conveniently  procured  and  worked  up  in  the  fore- 
going composition,  it  would  add  considerably  to  its  strength, 
and  give  a light  and  pleasing  color  to  it. 

In  cutting  out  the  opens  for  the  windows  and  doors,  great 
care  must  be  taken  to  secure  the  cut  logs  with  stout  hewn 
frames,  spiked  or  pinned,  with  oak  pins,  to  each  of  them. 
The  ceiling  joists  should  be  pine  sticks  laid  close  together 
and  run  out  three  feet  beyond  the  walls  in  front  and  rear. 
From  the  extremities  of  these  joists,  secured  by  eaves-poles 
laid  flat  on  them  and  well  pinned  down,  the  rafters  for  the 
roof  are  to  start. 

The  object  of  running  out  the  ceiling  joists,  as  just 
described,  is  two-fold : it  gives  a larger  attic,  and  also  gives 
a stoop  in  front  and  rear.  It  likewise  takes  the  usual 
pressure  of  the  roof  away  from  the  walls  : the  eaves  being 
sustained  by  fir  posts,  presenting  a very  picturesque  appear- 
ance, as  well  as  adding  much  to  the  permanency  of  the 
dwelling. 

The  chimney-breast  should  be  built  of  such  stones  as  can 
be  picked  up,  cemented  with  mud,  or,  if  possible,  with  lime- 
mortar.  The  outer  angles  of  this  chimney-breast  may  be 
sustained  by  well-secured  posts,  taking  care  to  keep  them 
away  from  the  fireplace.  From  the  ceiling-joists  up,  no  stone 
should  be  used;  but  four  angle-posts  erected  and  secured 
to  the  ceiling  joists  at  bottom,  and  to  the  rafters  through 
which  they  pass  at  top.  These  are  to  be  braced  together 
throughout  their  length,  and  this  whole  shaft  is  to  be  inter- 
laced with  sticks,  and  plastered  thickly,  inside  and  out,  with 
mud,  the  interior  to  have  cow-duns:  added. 


82 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDEK. 


Although  the  Rough  Log  dwelling  may  be  considered  by 
some  as  beneath  the  notice  of  refinement,  yet  it  was  from 
such  a homestead  that  many  a luxurious  pile  arose,.;  and  it 
was  in  cabins  such  as  these  that  many  of  the  gems  of  Amer- 
ican manhood  first  saw  the  light.  Why,  then,  not  improve 
upon  the  simple  details  of  their  construction? 

Hewn  Log.  This  is  an  improvement  on  the  preceding 
rough  style,  by  the  hewing  of  the  logs  square,  and  dovetailing 
the  quoins  or  angles  instead  of  suffering  them  to  project. 

Log  on  End.  The  style  next  under  consideration  is  one 
very  seldom  used;  yet  it  is  capable  of  being  made  both 
strong  and  comfortable.  It  consists  of  a sill  and  cap,  the 
posts,  cut  to  the  required  height  of  the  wall,  being  let 
into  the  sill  below,  and  being  bound  together  by  the  cap  at 
top  spiked  down  on  them.  The  joints,  after  being  plastered, 
to  be  covered  by  saplings  secured  to  the  cap  and  sill. 

The  bark  being  left  on  the  pieces  used  in  this  style,  and  the 
cap  being  ornamented  with  acorns,  it  must  present  a very 
interesting  appearance,  being  rustic  in  the  extreme.  The 
windows  should  have  diamond  panes  of  glass,  and  the  chimney 
shafts  should  be  in  perfect  keeping  with  the  wall,  represent- 
ing sections  of  young  trees  with  the  bark  on. 

The  floor  of  porch  should  likewise  be  laid  with  sections  of 
branches  with  bark  on,  arranged  in  grotesque  forms,  as 
might  suit  the  fancy  of  the  builder. 

The  gables  of  cottage  and  porch  might  be  highly  orna- 
mented in  like  manner;  and,  in  fact,  this  arboresque  style  is 
so  susceptible  of  ornamentation  that  a cottage  in  it  could  be 
finished  in  the  most  exquisite  taste,  at  a comparatively  trifling 


expense. 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


S3 


Frame.  For  years  our  carpenters  and  joiners  knew  no 
otlier  mode  of  erecting  wooden  houses  than  this.  Four 
frames  were  put  together,  and,  when  ready,  hoisted  up  into 
position,  and  duly  strengthened  with  angle-braces  and  ties. 
It  has  been  customary  to  fill  the  spaces  and  quarterings  with 
brick-nogging,  but  this  is  not  always  done. 

The  outside  is  either  covered  with  clapboarding,  or  lathed, 
plastered,  and  cemented  or  rough-casted.  Sometimes,  instead 
of  clapboarding,  it  is  horizontally  boarded  flush  throughout, 
and  the  joints  being  beveled,  this  presents  a pretty  appearance. 

Plank,  or  Balloon.  For  cheapness  and  strength,  this 
style  of  wooden  building  surpasses  all  others.  It  is  so  simple 
in  construction,  and  yet  so  compact  in  form  and  pretty  in 
appearance,  that  it  can  not  fail  of  winning  patrons.  The 
requirements  are,  a moderately  heavy  cap  and  sill,  and  sides 
of  plank  nailed  to  both.  The  joints  throughout  these  plank 
walls  are  to  be  covered  with  slips,  three  inches  wide,  each. 

It  is  usual  to  apply  flooring  boarding,  tongued  and  grooved, 
to  the  purpose  of  forming  these  plank  walls ; but  much  the 
better  plan  is  to  use  two-inch  undressed  hemlock,  and  sheet  the 
outside  of  it  with  inch  dressed  boards,  laid  on  horizontally,  the 
joints  to  be  run  with  white  lead ; and  when  the  whole  is  painted 
over,  then  rule  joint,  and  sand  it  in  imitation  of  sandstone. 

The  nickname  of  balloon  was  given  to  this  class  of  wooden 

structures  to  mark  contempt  for  their  apparently  light  and 

fragile  formation;  but  there  are  few  constructions  possessing 

more  actual  strength:  as  may  be  proved  by  comparing  them 

with  the  heaviest  frames,  and  testing  the  liability  of  each  to 

tremble  under  a given  weight  or  stroke.  The  frame,  if 

broken  at  any  of  its  ties,  becomes  weakened;  whereas  the 
3 


34 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


plank-house  is  all  one  complete  box,  not  dependent  on  any 
joints  in  particular. 

Board-Plank  on  Flat.  This  mode  of  building,  as  its 
name  indicates,  is  nothing  more  nor  less  than  the  laying  of 
six-inch  planks  over  each  other,  letting  the  alternate  sides 
project  or  lap  over  so  as  to  do  away  with  the  necessity  for 
lathing  altogether.  Its  advantages  are,  the  extreme  ease 
with  which  it  can  be  built  up : any  two  persons,  without  the 
slightest  mechanical  skill,  being  able  to  put  it  together, 
simply  taking  care,  at  the  angles,  to  keep  it  square  and 
plumb,  and  to  mark  where  windows  or  doors  are  required, 
and  cut  short  the  planks  accordingly.  It  is  also  very  strong: 
every  three  courses  of  planks  being  nailed  down  together; 
and  being  a solid  six-inch  wall  of  wood,  it  must  be  warm. 

Its  disadvantages  are  that,  in  the  event  of  the  lumber 
having  any  sap  remaining  in  it  after  it  is  laid  in  the  wall,  rot 
will  soon  set  in,  in  which  case  there  is  no  remedy  from  perfect 
ruin.  It  is  also  expensive,  from  the  amount  of  lumber  it 
takes;  but  this  might  not  be  considered  a disadvantage 
where  that  article  is  cheap,  and  a sawmill  at  hand. 

Weighing  the  advantages  and  disadvantages,  we  see  no 
reason  for  preferring  this  style  of  building  to  the  preceding 
or  “plank”  mode. 

Plank  on  Edge.  The  plan  of  building  here  noticed  is 
one  very  seldom  put  in  practice,  as  it  is  inferior  to  the  Plank 
or  Balloon  form,  being  very  weak  at  the  angles  or  quoins. 
It  consists  in  placing  two-inch  tongued  and  grooved  hemlock 
or  pine  boards  edge  on  edge  over  each  other  horizontally, 
spiking  each  course  together  at  the  quoins,  as  well  as  dove- 
tailing them. 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


35 


CHAPTER  III. 
STONEWORK. 

A quarry  being  near  enough,  and  lumber  expensive,  stone- 
work may  be  found  reasonable  in  building  a cottage.  But 
due  regard  must  be  had  to  economy  in  this  work,  as  any 
attempt  at  ornament  costs  far  higher  in  proportion  than  the 
same  in  woodwork. 

Rubble.  A very  neat  and  economical  style  of  stonework 
for  cottages  is  rubble  face  with  hammered  caps,  sills,  and 
base.  But  the  inside  of  the  walls  must  be  furred,  lathed 
and  plastered;  otherwise  the  house  will  be  always  liable  to 
dampness. 

Cobble.  What  is  called  cobble-stone  work  looks  very  well 
in  cottages.  The  walls  are  built  of  the  roughest  and  most 
irregular  stones,  and  the  outside  thickly  coated  with  strong 
mortar,  into  which  are  hammered  wet  cobble-stones,  forming 
regular  horizontal  courses  of  similar  sized  stones,  the  inter- 
mediate spaces  being  stuck  with  small  pebbles  in  as  great 
variety  of  hues  as  can  be  obtained.  But  the  quoins  of  this 
style  of  building  should  be  regularly  built  up  and  bonded 
into  the  wall.  They  may  be  bush-hammered  or  hammer- 
dressed. 

In  finishing  off  such  a cottage  as  this,  it  would  add 
greatly  to  its  uniqueness  to  pave  a platform  around  it  in 
the  same  style. 


36 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDEE. 


CHAPTEB  IV. 

BRICKWORK. 

Brick  is  a material  so  compact,  durable,  and  so  easily 
handled,  that  when  it  is  at  all  reasonable  in  price,  there  is 
none  more  desirable  to  the  builder.  In  using  brick  for  cheap 
cottages,  much  might  be  saved  and  great  comfort  added  by 
building  hollow  walls . 

To  effect  this  purpose,  the  wall  must  be  fourteen  inches 
thick;  the  outside  course  being  eight  inches,  and  inside 
four  inches,  with  a space  of  two  inches  between:  every 
fifth  brick  on  the  horizontal  courses  and  every  fifth  brick 
on  the  perpendicular  courses  to  form  a bond. 

The  advantage  of  this  mode  of  building  is,  that  it  admits 
a current  of  air  through  the  walls,  and  prevents  the  passage 
of  the  damp  into  the  house.  No  furring,  or  lathing  is  re- 
quired, as  the  plastering  goes  on  the  bare  wall. 

In  hollow  walls  such  as  these,  it  would  be  well  to  use  oak 
binders  shaped  like  bricks,  but  fourteen  inches  in  lenght. 

Hollow  Bricks.  The  invention  of  hollow  bricks  is  of  recent 
date.  They  are  larger  than  the  ordinary  brick,  and  moulded 
obliquely  on  end.  They  give  a better  joint  than  the  old  form 
of  brick,  and  being  hollow  in  themselves,  require  no  space  to 
form  a hollow  wall.  They  are  comparatively  light  and  strong. 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


37 


Composition  Brick.  A still  more  recent  invention  is  tliat 
just  made  public  at  Cincinnati.  It  is  a new  material  for 
making  brick : namely,  an  amalgamation  of  lime  and  sand, 
in  the  proportion  of  11  of  sand  to  1 of  lime.  This  brick  is 
hollow,  and  is  very  smooth  on  the  ends,  which  are  square. 
It  is  likewise  very  hard,  and,  being  easily  made,  will  probably 
become  very  popular.  Like  all  hollow  brick,  it  requires  no 
firring  or  lathing,  and  is  said  even  to  require  no  plastering, 
so  smooth  is  the  finish  it  makes.  Papering  will  go  on  to  it 
as  well  as  to  a plastered  wall. 

In  localities  where  lime  and  sand  are  plenty  and  cheap, 
this  must  prove  a very  desirable  invention. 


38 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


CHAPTER  V. 

EARTHWORK. 

There  being  locations  where  wood,  stone,  and  lime  are  so 
expensive  as  to  be  out  of  the  reach  of  that  class  for  whose 
particular  benefit  this  little  treatise  is  more  particularly 
intended,  the  great  material  which  nature  has  most  profusely 
supplied  will  now  come  under  consideration  as  a fitting  mate- 
rial for  man’s  use  in  building.  The  modes  of  using  it  for 
this  purpose  are  various,  and  have  had  their  origin  in  the 
wants  of  mankind  in  many  parts  of  the  globe. 

PiSE.  This  is  an  introduction  of  the  French ; and  building 
en  pise  is  as  absolutely  necessary  in  Lyons  as  gravel  composi- 
tion on  our  timberless  prairies.  The  peculiar  dearth  of  every 
other  material  in  that  part  of  France,  compelled  the  inhab- 
itants who  could  not  afford  to  import  brick,  stone  o'r  lime, 
to  have  recourse  to  this  primitive  yet  excellent  method  of 
raising  up  walls. 

The  modus  operandi  is  as  follows : 

The  ordinary  brown  earth  is  dug  up  and  laid  aside  to  dry. 
It  is  then  finely  screened,,  and  all  vegetable  or  other  impuri- 
ties carefully  cast  away.  A mould  of  the  following  form  is 
then  procured:  two  hemlock  or  oak  boards,  three  feet  long 
each,  and  two  inches  in  thickness,  are  to  be  placed  on  their 
edges  on  the  foundation,  apart  from  each  other  the  required 
thickness  of  the  proposed  wall;  two  pair  of  standards  are 
now  to  be  placed  upright,  a pair  at  either  side  of  the  boards, 
and  these  are  to  be  held  in  their  respective  positions  by 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


39 


round-iron  braces  above  and  below,  nutted  and  screwed  so  as 
to  be  easily  taken  asunder  and  removed  as  required.  Two 
little  guide-sticks  wdll  also  be  necessary  to  keep  the  boards 
at  their  proper  distance  apart  at  their  upper  edges. 

The  prepared  earth  is  now  thrown  in,  a layer  of  about 
one  inch  thick,  and  slightly  damped  with  a watering-pot. 
It  is  then  tamped  or  beaten  with  rammers,  until  it  is  quite 
hard.  Another  layer  is  then  thrown  on,  to  about  an  inch  in 
depth,  and  rammed  as  before,  and  so  on,  to  the  top  of  the 
mould.  The  iron  braces  are  then  unscrewed  and  drawn  out, 
and  the  mould  moved  forward,  when  the  operation  of  filling 
and  tamping  is  continued.  Thus  the  work  is  to  be  prosecuted 
until  the  circuit  of  the  building  has  been  performed,  when 
the  mould  is  to  be  lifted  to  the  second  course,  and  the  same 
routine  to  be  gone  through  as  in  the  first  course. 

If  the  moulding  boards  have  been  planed  on  the  inside 
faces,  the  wall  will  present  a smooth  appearance  inside  and  out. 

Instead  of  the  single  mould  here  described  as  generally 
used  in  France  for  jyise  building,  we  would  recommend  that 
the  walls  be  completely  boarded  round,  and  thus  save  the 
frequent  joints  which  the  single  mould  involves. 

The  rafters  may  be  temporarily  used  as  the  standards,  and 
be  well  secured  the  full  height  of  the  intended  walls:  not  to 
be  removed  until  the  walls  are  complete  and  the  wall-plates 
secured  in  their  places. 

Wherever  opens  for  windows  and  doors  occur,  stout  frames 
are  to  be  set  in  their  proper  places  and  well  secured,  as  the 
pressure  in  the  operation  of  ramming  is  very  great. 

The  rammers , called  by  the  French  yisoirs , are  peculiar  in 
their  formation.  But  a well-seasoned  oak  root,  six  inches 


40 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


square  and  a foot  long,  into  which  a handle  is  fastened,  three 
feet  long,  will  answer  a good  purpose,  provided  the  edges  of 
the  bottom  are  taken  off  so  as  to  prevent  cutting  the  earth 
at  each  stroke. 

That  the  philosophy  of  this  system  of  wall-building  is  well 
founded  there  can  be  no  doubt  when  we  consider  that  a newly 
dug  piece  of  ground  may  have  a track  or  path  made  perfectly 
hard  over  it  by  the  mere  passing  to  and  fro  of  footsteps  for 
a short  time.  But  it  does  not  require  any  further  support 
than  the  testimony  of  the  past  ninety  years  in  the  actual 
existence,  for  that  time,  of  buildings  in  the  city  of  Lyons. 

The  French  are  in  the  habit  of  frescoing  the  walls  on  the 
outside  and  giving  excellent  imitations  of  marble.  As  to  the 
inside,  it  requires  no  preparations,  the  walls  being  perfectly 
smooth,  and  wanting  only  painting  or  papering  as  may  suit 
the  taste. 

Adobe.  This  form  of  construction,  by  us  most  generally 
called  sun-dried  brick , is  very  much  in  favor  in  Mexico,  and  is 
frequently  used  in  the  neighboring  province  of  Canada. 

As  its  name  imports,  it  consists  of  brick  burnt  or  dried  in 
the  sun.  These  brick  are  composed  of  earth,  wetted  and 
worked  up  with  straw  through  it  by  oxen  treading  it  out. 
When  it  has  acquired  a stiff  plasticity  by  being  sufficiently 
trodden  and  turned,  the  laborers  will  shovel  it  into  the  moulds, 
which  must  be  placed  in  a row  along  a level  plank;  and  when 
they  are  all  filled,  the  moulds  may  be  raised  off  steadily,  and 
the  plank,  with  the  bricks  thereon,  be  removed  to  an  appro- 
priate place  to  dry.  The  moulds  must  then  be  dipped  in  water 
and  laid  on  afresh  plank,  where  they  are  again  filled  and  raised, 
as  before,  and  so  on.  The  bricks  are  to  remain  on  their 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


41 


respective  planks,  which  are  to  be  raised  a few  inches  from 
the  ground,  and  a broad  plank  or  two  for  roofing  is  to  be 
laid  over  them  at  night  or  during  rain.  They  are  to  be  sub- 
mitted to  the  heat  of  the  sun  for  ten  or  twelve  days,  when 
they  are  to  be  turned  over  and  permitted  to  remain  a week 
or  so  more,  until  they  are  thoroughly  dry,  which  may  be 
ascertained  by  breaking  one  of  the  bricks  across,  and  inspect- 
ing the  heart  of  it. 

The  mould  is  made  as  a stout  box,  without  top  or  bottom, 
and  having  cleets  for  handles  at  the  ends. 

The  dimensions  of  sun-dried  bricks  differ  according  to  the 
climate.  In  Mexico,  where  the  heat  of  the  sun  soon  strikes 
through  them,  they  are  very  large.  In  Canada  they  are 
smaller.  The  two  most  general  sizes  are : 

18  inches  long,  12  inches  wide,  and  6 inches  thick;  and 
12  inches  long,  12  inches  wide,  and  6 inches  thick. 

The  latter,  although  it  does  not  present  so  good  looking  a 
front  as  the  eighteen-inch  one,  makes  a more  compact  brick, 
and  is  decidedly  less  liable  to  crack,  as  well  as  being  handled 
with  more  facility. 

In  the  constructing  walls  with  adobe  or  sun-dried  brick,  a 
foundation  wall  of  stone  or  concrete  must  be  laid,  as  this 
material  must  not  be  near  the  ground  or  subject  to  moisture. 

Where  opens  for  windows  and  doors  occur,  it  must  be  borne 
in  mind  that  the  bricks  shrink  after  they  are  laid  up  in  the 
wall;  and  therefore  the  frame  intended  for  the  open  had 
better  not  be  put  in  for  a week  or  ten  days,  if  dry  weather, 
a fortnight  if  damp.  In  their  absence,  rough  temporary 
frames  must  be  placed  to  work  up  to. 


42 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


The  same  material  of  which  the  bricks  are  composed  is 
frequently  used  in  a semi-liquid  state  for  cement ; but  in  case 
lime  is  not  very  dear,  mortar  is  preferable  for  the  joints. 

It  must  be  particularly  observed  that  the  roof  shall  project 
not  less  than  two  feet  beyond  the  walls  in  building  en  pise , or 
with  sun-dried  brick,  as  it  is  imperatively  necessary  that  no 
drip  shall  injure  the  face  of  the  walls. 

The  outside  face  of  this  brickwork  may  be  plastered  with 
strong  mortar  and  rougk-easted  with  gravel.  On  the  inside 
it  can  be  plastered  on  to  the  wall  without  lathing. 

This  makes  a really  comfortable  house;  being,  like  pise , 
warm  in  winter,  and  cool  in  summer.  It  is  very  durable, 
and  even  the  straw  incorporated  in  it  has  been  known  to  last 
for  over  sixty  years  in  a perfectly  sound  condition. 

The  caps  and  sills  of  windows  and  doors  ought,  if  possible, 
be  stone,  as  woodwork  will  be  liable  to  decay  quicker  than 
the  bricks,  and  thereby  render  the  wall  weak. 

Cob-wall.  This  is  a highly  primitive  manner  of  building 
which  prevails  much  in  Europe,  especially  in  Devonshire, 
England.  It  is,  in  fact,  the  adobe  put  up  en  masse  in  the  walling 
instead  of  being  divided  into  bricks.  It  is  commonly  put  up 
with  pitchforks  roughly,  and  afterward  combed  down  with 
rakes,  and  left  to  harden  in  the  sun  before  the  roof  is  put 
on,  the  tops  of  the  walls  being  covered  with  loose  boards 
to  shelter  them  from  the  weather. 

There  can  be  no  comparison  between  cob  and  adobe  walls, 
as  the  latter  is  composed  of  thoroughly  dried  bricks,  while 
the  former  is  damp  in  the  heart  for  a long  time  after  its 
erection. 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


43 


The  cob-walls  are  finished  with  a batter  on  the  outside  of 
say  four  inches  in  ten  feet  high. 

Pise  walls  might  likewise  have  a similar  batter,  which 
would  add  much  to  their  strength. 

In  all  erections  of  earth-work  walls,  the  first  object  will  be 
to  keep  them  up  above  the  surface  of  the  ground;  the 
second,  to  roof  them  well  over;  and  the  third,  to  avoid  the 
possibility  of  damp  coming  in  connection  with  them,  by  means 
of  rain-conductors  or  otherwise. 


44 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

GRAVELW ORK  OR  CONCRETE. 

The  settlers  on  our  vast  western  prairies,  from  a want  of 
lumber  as  well  as  of  building  stone,  have  been  driven  by 
necessity  to  seek  for  another  mode  of  building  more  adapted 
to  the  means  within  their  reach. 

It  is  well  known  that  those  prairie  lands  have  for  their 
foundation  a plentiful  bed  of  gravel;  and,  as  lime  is  likewise 
plenty  and  cheap,  the  inhabitants  of  Illinois,  Iowa,  and  Wis- 
consin are  in  the  habit  of  using  these  ready  materials  to 
construct  walls  with. 

These  dwellings  so  erected  are  termed  “Gravel  Buildings,” 
but  they  are,  in  reality,  “Concrete”  structures,  and  if  their 
walls  be  properly  proportioned  in  their  composition,  they  are 
as  hard  and  durable  as  stone  itself. 

These  proportions  are  either, 

Gravel, 9 parts  or  measu  'es. 

Lime, 1 part. 

Or, 

Gravel, 12  parts. 

Lime, 1 part. 

Some  gentlemen  have  asserted  that  even  twenty  parts  of 
gravel  to  one  part  of  lime  will  form  a strong  composition; 
but  this  is  scarcely  possible.  However,  it  is  easy  to  try  a 
few  experiments  before  commencing  the  house. 

The  first  thing  to  be  done  is  to  erect  posts  all  around  the 
intended  building,  not  more  than  three  feet  apart,  and 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


45 


corresponding  posts  on  the  inside,  back  from  the  outside 
ones  exactly  the  thickness  the  wall  is  to  be.  The  flooring 
joists  and  rafters  may  be  used  for  this  purpose.  Stout 
planks  are  now  to  be  placed  inside  of  these  posts,  all  around 
the  house,  and  this  will  form  the  mould  for  the  walls. 

The  composition  is  to  be  made  in  a box  placed  on  the 
inside  of  the  house,  so  as  to  be  handy  to  the  work.  It  is  to 
be  made  in  the  following  manner:  the  gravel,  say  eight 
bushels,  is  to  be  spread  over  the  bottom  of  the  box  evenly; 
a bushel  of  lime  is  then  to  be  slaked  in  a separate  box,  and 
when  it  forms  a thick,  creamy  fluid,  it  is  to  be  poured  over 
the  gravel,  and  the  whole  is  to  be  worked  up  instantly  and 
cast  into  the  mould  without  being  suffered  to  rest  long  enough 
to  begin  setting. 

Two  or  three  men,  with  broad  shovels,  should  be  ready  to 
mix  up  the  composition  as  soon  as  the  fluid  lime  is  thrown 
over  it,  and  great  care  must  be  taken  to  mix  it  very 
thoroughly,  as  on  this  depends  the  future  solidity  of  the 
walls. 

Where  windows  and  doors  occur,  frames  wide  enough  to 
fill  the  thickness  of  the  wall  are  inserted  and  filled  up  to. 

No  more  than  one  thickness  of  the  composition  should  be 
laid  in  the  wall  at  a time ; and  the  whole  evenly  gone  over, 
course  after  course,  until  the  walls  are  up  to  their  proper 
height. 

Each  course  or  layer  having  time  to  set  before  the  succeed- 
ing layer  comes  on,  the  whole  will  be  sufficiently  dry  when 
the  eaves-plates  are  on,  and  will  then  harden  rapidly. 

To  leave  flue  in  the  walls,  it  is  only  necessary  to  place  a 
round  or  square  stick  (the  former  is  preferable)  in  the  wall. 


46 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDEE. 


It  should  be  seven  inches  diameter;  and  the  chimney-breast 
should  be  not  less  than  twenty-one  inches  thick.  The  shaft 
above  the  roof  is  to  be  moulded  with  one  smoke-chamber  to 
receive  all  the  flues  into  it.  Care  must  be  taken  to  make  its 
capacity  equal  to  the  total  amount  of  openings  of  the  flues, 
and  at  the  same  time  to  have  its  sides  sufficiently  thick  to 
insure  it  from  splitting. 

This  chimney-shaft  might  be  built  up  of  burnt  brick  with 
greater  ease  and  certainty  than  the  foregoing  method  would  ad- 
mit of,  if  it  were  possible  to  procure  the  bricks  for  that  purpose. 

The  roof  of  a building  of  this  description  should  project 
two  or  three  feet  beyond  the  walls,  and  be  nearly  flat,  having 
no  more  pitch  than  will  answer  to  carry  off  the  rain-water 
from  the  roof. 

The  covering  of  the  roof  is  to  be  a composition  similar  to 
that  in  the  walls,  and  may  be  laid  on  about  two  and  a half 
inches  thick  over  boards  nailed  down  on  the  rafters  or  joists. 

Caps  and  sills  of  windows  and  doors  ought  to  be  of  stone, 
or  hard  burnt  brick;  though  it  is  possible  to  mould  or  cast 
arches  for  sills  in  concrete  of  sufficient  strength  for  the  purpose. 

The  composition  for  this  purpose  should,  however,  be  most 
carefully  manipulated,  and  well  beaten  with  spatulas  until  all 
moisture  is  driven  out;  being  then  worked  into  the  mould, 
and  submitted  to  a sufficient  pressure,  it  will  harden  very 
rapidly.  It  would  be  desirable  to  add  hydraulic  lime  in  such 
compositions,  and  the  following  might  be  the  proportions : 

Fine  Gravel,  • 6 parts.  ; 

Fine  Sand, 6 “ 

Common  Lime, 1 “ 

Hydraulic  Lime, £ 


a 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


47 


Mix  the  lime  and  water  np  into  a cream.,  and  pour  on  over 
the  sand  and  gravel,  working  all  np  well,  and  beating  it  with 
flat  sticks  or  spatulas,  as  before  directed. 

In  the  casting  of  foundations  and  main  walls,  it  would  add 
immensely  to  the  strength  of  the  concrete  if  a fall  of  ten  or 
a dozen  feet  could  be  given  to  it.  This  might  be  easily 
accomplished  by  having  the  posts  along  the  walls  firmly 
braced  at  top,  and  laying  plank  gangways  or  runs  for  the 
laborers  to  carry  up  the  concrete  with  their  wheelbarrows 
and  pitch  it  over. 

Another  plan  might  be  adopted,  namely:  the  hanging  of  a 
trough  by  two  cords  passing  through  pulleys  at  top,  and  a 
catch  at  a certain  height,  acting  on  the  same  principle  as  a 
pile-driver,  and  oversetting  the  box,  which,  being  empty,  is 
let  go  and  descends,  to  be  filled  and  hoisted  as  before.  A 
horse  might  be  applied  to  this  work  with  advantage. 

In  New  England  the  use  of  concrete  has  grown  much  into 
fashion ; but  so  carelessly  are  the  walls  formed  that  cracks 
not  unfrequently  occur.  It  must  therefore  be  observed  that 
too  much  attention  can  not  be  paid  to  the  proportions  of 
material  as  well  as  to  the  working  them  judiciously  together. 
Too  great  a quantity  of  lime  tends  to  weaken  instead  of 
improving  the  work.  It  is  too  common  a practice  to  use  the 
following  proportions,  viz  : 33  parts  of  lime,  33  parts  of  sand, 
and  66  parts  of  broken  stone.  This  is  very  erroneous,  being 
not  alone  weak,  but  very  expensive  as  compared  with  the  true 
proportions. 


4:8 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


CHAPTER  VII. 

THE  INTERNAL  ARRANGEMENT  OF 
DWELLINGS. 

Having  fully  treated  of  the  main  parts  of  a building  in 
which  economy  is  the  feature  never  lost  sight  of,  we  now  come  to 
consider  the  interior,  and  to  keep  the  same  object  in  view  still. 

All  partitions  may  be  built  slight;  but  by  bracing,  or 
otherwise,  should  be  mafde  strong  enough  to  avoid  jarring, 
and  thereby  cracking  plastering,  or  splitting  papering. 

In  adobe  houses,  the  partitions  may  be  built  of  brick  laid 
on  eds:e. 

In  concrete  dwellings,  they  may  be  formed  of  narrow  brick,  of 
similar  material,  cast  for  the  purpose  with  a tongue  and  groove 
at  either  end  of  each  brick : thus  tying  them  securely  together. 

Previous  to  breaking  ground,  a well-digested  plan  should 
be  decided  on,  and  never  after  deviated  from  until  the  work 
is  completed.  For,  it  frequently  happens  that  a very  trifling 
deviation  will  so  change  the  features  of  the  plan  as  to  add 
considerably  to  its  cost ; whereas,  the  change  might  have 
been  made  in  the  plan,  and  everything  foreseen  before  the 
undertaking  was  incurred. 

In  cities,  where  lots  are  dear  and  necessarily  small,  a 
narrow  frontage  is  all  that  can  be  expected — often  so  narrow 
as  to  interfere  materially  with  the  accommodation  and  shape 
of  apartments ; yet  it  only  requires  a little  study  and  ingenuity 
to  obviate  this  trouble. 

There  is  a very  silly  notion  among  builders,  be  their  struc- 
tures ever  so  small,  that  there  must  be  a hall  door  in  front ; 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


49 


and  this  idea  not  only  causes  the  windows  to  be  crowded  to 
make  room  for  it,  but  the  plan  inside  is  crowded  also. 

It  is  much  better  to  have  the  entrance  on  the  side,  thus 
leaving  room  for  a good  sized  apartment  in  front  for  a par- 
lor, and  a narrow  stairs  leading  from  the  hall  to  the  sleeping 
rooms  overhead.  The  living  room,  at  the  rear  of  the  house, 
might  have  a bedroom  off,  and  a pantry.  One  bedroom  being 
sufficient  on  the  first  floor. 

In  this  way,  sixteen  feet  would  be  a sufficient  width  for  a 
house,  and  four  feet  being  sufficient  for  a passage  to  the  hall 
door,  and  to  the  rear;  a twenty  foot  lot  would  give  room  for 
a house  of  moderate  capacity. 

But  in  a village,  or  in  the  country,  the  house  should  pre- 
sent its  full  front,  having  the  hall  door  in  the  center. 

A center  building  with  two  wings,  although  it  looks  well, 
is  not  to  be  thought  of  by  the  economist,  as  it  is  more  ex- 
pensive, and  does  not  present  that  compact  form,  which  gives 
so  much  comfort  in  a house  by  the  concentration  of  heat. 

A very  good  proportion  for  a parlor  is  fifteen  by  thirteen 
feet ; for  a small  bedroom  seven  by  nine,  a dining  room  twelve 
feet  square,  or  even  thirteen  by  nine;  kitchen  ten  by  twelve. 

Nine  feet  is  a sufficient  height  for  the  first  story,  and  seven 
feet  for  the  second.  Or,  where  a roof  of  gothic  pitch  is 
used,  fourteen  feet  is  sufficient  height  at  the  eaves. 

No  sleeping  room  should  be  without  a window. 

Many  persons  in  building,  desire  to  have  a cistern  under 
their  kitchen,  or  woodshed.  This  is  a very  bad  practice,  as  the 
flooring  joists  and  timbers,  immediately  over  such  cistern  are 
constantly  subject  to  damp,  and  consequently  soon  rot  away. 


4 


50 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


CHAPTER  Till. 

FLOORS. 

As  it  is  customary  in  this  country  to  carpet  every  room  in 
the  house,  flooring  need  not  be  laid  with  a view  to  appear- 
ance. It  is  cheap  to  lay  down  an  undressed  floor,  covering 
the  joints  with  slips  of  brown  paper,  and  then  spreading  old 
newspapers,  instead  of  straw,  under  the  carpet. 

But  in  a kitchen  a carpet  can  not  be  used,  and  so  it  be- 
comes necessary  to  have  a planed  floor,  three  times  coated 
with  oil-paint,  or,  better  still,  to  have  a composition  floor, 
made  in  the  following  manner: 

Take  sand  and  gravel,  and  lay  the  foundation  for  the 
required  floor,  spreading  it  on  to  within  two  inches  of  the 
intended  height  or  level.  Pour  over  the  whole  hot  grout  of 
lime,  very  fine  sand,  and  hot  water,  until  it  is  all  covered. 
Leave  it  to  dry  for  a week.  Then  take  sand,  ashes,  and 
lime — three  of  the  first,  two  of  the  second,  and  one  of  the 
third — and  mix  with  water  to  a stiff  paste,  and  lay  it  on 
smoothly  over  the  floor  up  to  the  level  desired.  Let  this 
floor  stand  for  some  days  until  it  is  perfectly  hard.  Zinc 
ought  to  be  placed  under  the  cook-stove,  as  the  heat  may  in 
time  crack  the  composition,  although  it  is  not  probable. 

This  composition  makes  a handsome  and  very  durable  floor, 
and  is  considerably  cheaper  than  wood  in  any  locality. 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


51 


CHAPTEB  IX. 

CISTERNS. 

There  is  no  greater  comfort  to  a household  than  that  of  a 
good  capacious  cistern;  and  certainly  none  that  will  more 
amply  repay  in  comfort  all  the  outlay  which  it  may  call  for. 

The  best  method  of  forming  a cistern  is  to  dig  a large 
round  hole,  say  eight  feet  diameter  and  seven  feet  deep,  and 
plaster  the  sides  and  bottom  with  hydraulic  cement  and  sand, 
three  to  one,  about  three  inches  thick.  In  the  middle  of  this 
cistern,  at  about  a foot  from  the  bottom,  place  a stone  or 
wooden  false  bottom,  perforated  with  holes,  through  the 
center  of  which  the  rain-pipe  is  to  descend  a few  inches. 
This  bottom  chamber  is  to  be  filled  nearly  full  with  charcoal 
and  sand. 

It  is  obvious  that  such  a cistern,  acting  as  a filterer  also, 
must  prove  of  great  utility. 

The  back  yard,  near  the  rain-water  pipes,  and  out  of  doors 
but  away  from  foundations,  must  be  the  fittest  place  for  this 
cistern;  from  which  the  water  may  be  taken  for  use  by  a 
pump  set  for  that  purpose. 

Smoke-house.  A simple  little  cellar,  built  and  roofed  with 
brick,  (burnt  or  unburnt,)  with  a door  tinned  on  the  inside, 
constitutes  one* 

Privy.  This  modest  mansion  of  retirement  is  but  too  often 
passed  lightly  over  by  the  builder ; yet  nothing  is  more  offen- 
sive or  unhealthy  than  it  when  dilapidation  comes  upon  it. 


52 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


To  build  it  soundly,  then,  is  as  desirable  as  to  erect,  in  a 
substantial  manner,  the  dwelling  itself. 

The  vault  should  be  sufficiently  deep,  and  be  walled  in 
securely.  The  privy  should  stand  upon  these  walls,  and  be 
built  with  a view  to  stability ; be  well  ventilated  through  the 
roof,  and  sufficiently  lighted  by  windows  turning  on  pivots. 
The  door  should  have  a deep  porch  to  protect  it  from  the 
weather,  and  also  have  a pulley-line  and  weight  to  shut  it. 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


53 


CHAPTER  X. 
ESTIMATING. 

This  is  a subject  to  which  the  man  of  humble  means  about 
to  build,  must  pay  especial  attention;  for  nothing  requires  a 
nicer  calculation  than  the  items  that  make  up  the  house  of 
such  a person.  He  has  a desire,  and  a very  natural  one,  to 
have  the  most  for  his  limited  means ; and  therefore  he  should 
go  to  work  with  his  mind  fully  made  up  to  the  question, 
“How  much  is  it  to  cost?” 

In  estimating  the  expenses  necessary  to  be  incurred  in 
building,  it  is  requisite  to  know  exactly  what  you  want,  where 
it  is  to  be  obtained,  and  what  it  is  to  cost  when  obtained. 

These  are  questions  which  will  depend  for  their  solution 
altogether  on  the  location  where  the  required  building  is  to  be. 

But  the  measurement  of  the  building,  and  of  the  several 
materials  of  which  it  is  to  be  composed,  may  be  made  with 
sufficient  accuracy  on  the  plans ; and  this  is  technically  termed, 
“making  out  the  quantities.”  To  these  quantities,  when 
found,  the  price  per  yard,  rod,  or  thousand,  is  to  be  applied, 
and  the  amount  in  money  arrived  at.  To  this  may  be  added 
ten  per  cent,  for  contingencies,  and  the  total  is  what  you 
have  to  provide  for  the  erection  of  your  house. 

On  a sheet  of  paper,  rule  two  pair  of  columns,  thus : 

Cubic  Square 

| yds.  | feet.  [ | feet  | inches.  | 

Commence  at  the  foundation,  and  calculate  the  amount  of 
digging  required  for  the  trenches : the  cistern,  the  sewer,  and 
the  privy.  Calculate  the  exact  length,  width  and  depth,  and 


54 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


divide  tlie  amount  by  twenty-seven,  which  will  give  the  num- 
ber of  cubic  yards  of  digging  required,  which  amount  must 
be  entered  down  in  the  columns  used  for  that  purpose. 

The  next  item  to  be  calculated  is  the  foundation,  (also  in 
yards,)  which,  of  course,  will  be  similar  to  that  of  the  trenches 
around  house,  and  two  feet  added  for  height  above  ground. 
It  is  to  be  noted  whether  the  foundation  is  to  be  of  stone  or 
concrete. 

The  sewer  will  come  next  under  consideration,  then  the 
cistern,  then  the  privy,  then  the  cellar. 

Having  entered  down  each  of  these  items  in  its  separate 
column,  then  proceed  to  find  the  amount  in  cubic  feet  of  the 
walls  and  chimneys,  and  this  ends  the  cubic  work. 

Having  now  headed  your  columns  with  “ square  feet  and 
inches,”  commence  to  calculate  the  flooring,  roofing,  parti- 
tioning, etc.  Count  the  number  of  windows,  and  the  number 
of  similar  sized  lights  in  each,  and  make  a note  accordingly. 
The  doors — class  them  as  to  size,  thickness,  and  number  of 
panels  in  each.  Note  these  things  down. 

It  may  be  remarked  here  that  all  sticks  of  timber,  such  as 
caps,  sills,  beams,  joists  and  rafters,  are  calculated  by  board 
measure : that  is,  by  the  foot  square,  and  one  inch  thick ; for 
two  inches  thick  it  is  double  the  number  of  square  feet;  for 
three  inches,  treble,  and  so  on. 

The  shortest  method  of  arriving  at  the  contents  of  such 
sticks  is  to  find  the  length  in  feet ; bring  it  to  inches ; which 
multiply  by  the  inches  in  breadth,  and  this  amount  again  by 
the  number  of  inches  in  thickness.  You  have  now  found  the 
number  of  cubic  inches  in  the  whole,  and  divide  this  amount 
by  1728,  that  being  the  number  of  cubic  inches  in  one  cubic 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


55 


foot;  which  divided  again  by  144,  gives  the  board  measure 
above  alluded  to:  so  that  you  have  the  measurement  both 
ways,  cubic  and  square. 

The  next  measurement  is  superficial  square  feet  and  inches, 
such  as  flooring,  roofing,  plastering  and  painting.  The  con- 
tents in  flooring  and  roofing  are  to  be  divided  by  100  to 
reduce  them  to  squares,  and  the  plastering  and  painting  are 
to  be  divided  by  9 to  bring  them  to  yards— -these  being  the 
denominations  under  which  mechanics  calculate  their  respec- 
tive works.  Ironmongery  is  estimated  by  simply  counting 
the  number  of  hinges  of  one  class;  number  of  locks,  bolts, 
and  fastenings,  in  like  manner. 

In  conclusion,  the  accessories,  such  as  rain-conductors, 
cistern-pump,  stench-trap,  etc.,  are  to  be  enumerated,  and  the 
estimate  of  “quantities”  is  complete. 

It  only  remains  now  for  the  man  about  to  build  to  find  out 
by  inquiry  among  the  several  trades,  the  prices  of  each  work, 
and  he  can  at  once  come  at  the  actual  value  of  the  whole. 

It  is  optional  with  him  to  buy  his  own  materials  and  em- 
ploy his  own  labor,  or  to  let  out  the  job,  either  piece-meal, 
or  “in  the  lump,”  as  it  is  called.  The  latter  is  the  dearer 
mode,  as  the  contractor  must  have  a profit  on  the  job ; and 
it  is  likewise  the  most  doubtful  mode,  for  the  proprietor 
being,  probably,  no  judge  of  either  material  or  work,  will, 
when  too  late,  find  himself  cheated  in  both. 

In  large  works,  the  contract  system  is  probably  the  best, 
because  there  can  be  a superintending  architect  whose  pro- 
fessional interest  it  will  be  to  guard  against  fraud.  But  in 

o 

very  limited  constructions,  such  as  those  now  under  consid- 
eration, an  opposite  course  is  more  advisable. 


56 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER, 


CHAPTER  XI. 

HINTS  WORTH  HAYING. 

Married  mechanics,  clerks,  or  others  whose  income  is 
small,  and  who  have  families  to  shelter  and  support,  should 
of  all  things  avoid  the  ruinous  rents  of  large  cities.  Nor 
should  they  be  induced,  under  the  blinding  influence  of  “long 
credit,”  to  undertake  paying  for  miserable  little  unproductive 
“city  lots,” — thus  enriching  wealthy  land  owners  at  a sacri- 
fice of  every  little  comfort  which  their  days  of  labor  should 
be  entitled  to. 

Let  a small  club  or  association  of  such  men  put  into  one 
common  fund  sufficient  to  make  the  first  payment  on  a piece 
of  land  a few  miles  from  the  city.  Let  them  keep  a convey- 
ance for  their  special  use,  if  they  do  not  locate  near  a railroad 
or  canal,  or  public  conveyance  of  some  description,  and  they 
will  derive  ten  fold  benefit. 

Take  the  following  as  an  example : 

Twenty-five  heads  of  families  subscribe  mutually  fifty  dol- 
lars toward  the  purchase  of  one  hundred  acres  of  land,  the 
price  of  which  is  thirty  dollars  per  acre,  on  a credit  of  four 
years,  one  fifth  being  paid  down.  Now,  each  subscriber’s 
share  of  the  first  installment  is  twenty-four  dollars,  and  the 
remaining  twenty-six  dollars  in  treasury  will  go  to  fence*  dig 
wells,  etc. 

Thus,  each  member  will  have  five  acres  of  land,  at  a rate 
at  which  he  could  not  procure  it  if  buying  individually ; and 
these  five  acres  will  amply  sustain  his  family,  and  by  saving 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDEK. 


57 


rent  and  provisions,  enable  him  to  meet  the  remaining  small 
payments  and  clear  his  land  out  of  his  earnings  in  the  city. 
This  is  a practicable  scheme,  and  one  which  ought  to  draw 
the  attention  of  that  large  class  whose  interest  it  is  to  save 
by  every  means  possible. 

Let  no  man  of  humble  means  be  without  a small  garden. 
It  is  both  healthful  and  economical,  and  will  put  on  his  table 
many  a little  luxury  which,  without  it,  he  would  not  think  of 
procuring. 

And,  if  there  were  no  other  enticement,  there  is  the  enjoy- 
ment of  flowers — beautiful  flowers — to  send  up  their  incense 
to  him  as  he  returns  from  his  daily  toil,  or  on  the  soothing 
Sabbath  culls  the  heart* s-ease  which  some  loved  member  of  his 
cherished  household  reared  for  him  alone. 

The  cellar  we  spoke  of  in  an  earlier  page  should  be  in  the 
garden,  and  it  might  be  made  to  form  a mound,  planted  with 
flowers,  or  sodded  with  grass.  A man  of  a little  taste  might 
make  a beauty-spot  of  it. 

The  fence  around  the  house,  a pretty,  modest  little 
picket,  should  be  backed  by  judiciously  arranged  slips  of 
Osage  Orange,  which,  when  the  picket  had  in  time  fully  done 
its  duty,  and  been  removed  from  its  post,  will  take  its  place 
in  all  the  bloom  of  full-leafed  beauty. 

It  is  to  be  hoped  that  this  broad  land  will  one  day  present 
a glorious  intersection  of  hedges,  which  will  truly  make  the 
country  to  blossom  as  the  rose.  The  gate  should  be  a special 
feature  in  our  little  plan.  It  should  be  seven  feet  high, 
arched  over  and  trellised,  so  that  grapes  or  vines  of  some 
description  may  festoon  and  cover  it. 

The  front  of  the  house  should  have  its  woodbine,  jessamine, 


58 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDEE. 


or  ivy-green  bedecking  it,  and  adding  beauty  suck  as  the 
humming  birds  may  fly  to,  and  the  summer  bees  draw  sweets 
from. 

Nor  should  a greenhouse  be  omitted,  however  small.  It 
will  pay  for  its  cost  over  and  over  again,  in  early  vegetables, 
plants,  and  flowers.  Hot-beds  should  at  least  be  provided, — 
the  expense  of  them  is  inconsiderable. 

Trees  of  choice  fruit  should  be  planted  where  their  shade 
will  not  hurt  the  growth  in  the  beds  adjacent. 

Lastly.  The  walks  in  the  garden  should  be  neatly  paved 
with  pretty  small  round  stone  on  a layer  of  sand;  and  if  such 
can  not  be  easily  procured,  gravel  should  be  spread  over 
them. 

Care  must  in  all  cases  be  taken  to  form  the  walks  with  a 
rise  in  the  middle,  to  give  facility  to  the  easy  egress  of  the 
rain-water;  the  sides  of  such  walks  having Y gutters,  formed 
of  two  boards,  with  a gentle  fall  in  one  direction  to  receive 
and  carry  it  off. 

How  to  Test  Seeds.  Be  careful  in  the  selection  of  and 
preservation  of  seeds  that  they  unite  all  the  requisite  quali- 
ties for  reproduction.  Remember  that  they  must  be  thor- 
oughly ripe,  and  well  preserved.  Avoid  any  possible  chance 
of  their  getting  heated.  And  here  we  will  take  notice  of 
two  excellent  methods  of  testing  the  quality  of  seeds:  One 
is,  to  throw  them  into  water;  the  seeds  which  float  on  the 
surface  are  worthless.  The  other,  and  perhaps  more  conclu- 
sive test  is  to  place  the  seeds  in  a saucer,  between  two  pieces 
of  cloth  saturated  with  water.  Having  lain  the  time  required 
for  seed  in  the  earth  to  sprout,  it  will  declare  itself  good 
or  bad. 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


59 


Note  well,  that  fruit  coming  from  old  seed,  that  has  re- 
tained its  germinating  power,  is  better  than  that  grown  from 
new  seed. 

To  Test  Water  Lime,  or  Hydraulic  Cement.  Take  a 
small  flannel  bag,  and  fill  it  with  the  water  lime ; then  put 
the  bag  into  water,  and  when  it  is  saturated  take  it  out, 
squeeze  it  well,  and  on  opening  the  bag,  if  the  lime  be  good 
it  has  set;  if  not,  it  will  be  found  cracked. 

Water  lime  shrinks,  on  an  average,  one-fifth  of  its  bulk, 
for  which  calculation  must  be  made  in  using  it  for  building 
purposes. 

For  all  underground  work,  water  lime  is  desirable,  because 
its  great  virtue  is  in  a perfect  resistance  to  the  inroads  of 
moisture.  But,  for  all  overground  work,  it  is  not  advisable  to 
use  water  lime  without  the  assistance  of  common  lime : for  this 
reason, that  as  the  water  lime  shrinks,  so,  on  the  contrary,  the 
common  lime  swells  in  the  slaking,  and  thus  the  two  acting* 
together  correct  each  other,  and  form  a compact  working 
cement. 


ILLUSTRATED  EXAMPLES. 


uompton,  Buffalo, 


ILLUSTRATED  EXAMPLES. 


CHAPTER  I. 

THE  LOG  HOUSE. 

No.  1.  Here  is  the  primitive  dwelling  of  the  backwoodsman, 
as  it  might  be  made  with  but  a trifling  attention  to  details. 

The  windows  and  doors  are  surmounted  with  bracketed 
weather-boards,  and  these  brackets  would  be  in  better  keep- 
ing with  the  rustic  structure  they  belong  to  if  they  were 
formed  of  branches  with  the  bark  left  on. 

The  window-frames  may  be  made  of  graceful  proportions, 
such  as  two  feet  six  inches  wide  by  six  feet  long,  divided  by 
a center  mullion,  made  stationary,  and  having  bark  on  the 
outside. 

The  roof  might  be  bracketed  in  the  rustic  style;  and  in 
fact,  many  little  embellishments  might  be  applied  to  make 
this  humble  home  of  the  husbandman  a gem  in  its  way.  It 
does  not  require  actual  mechanics  to  follow  out  these  little 
hints.  Any  man  with  a saw,  a hammer,  and  chisel,  with  some 
nails,  can  effect  wonders  in  this  way. 

The  estimated  value  of  such  a building  as  this  can  not  well 
be  arrived  at;  for  “bees”  work  so  much  to  the  purpose  in 
the  erection  of  them,  that  nothing  is  left  for  the  carpenter 


64 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDEE. 


and  joiner  "but  the  inside  finish;  and  as  “bush  carpenters’’ 
can  always  be  had  for  six  shillings  or  a dollar  a day,  with 
board,  it  may  be  presumed  that  for  plainly  finished  work,  a 
living  room,  pantry,  and  two  bedrooms,  with  an  open  attic, 
will  not  cost  much  over  thirty-jive  dollars  for  labor. 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  accompanying  illustration  pre- 
sents the  quoins  as  squared  even  with  the  walls ; in  such  case 
they  must  be  dovetailed,  and  each  of  the  logs  should  be  pre- 
pared on  the  ends,  with  that  view,  by  the  carpenter  previous 
to  the  “raising.” 

The  logs  should  also  be  squared. 

The  design  here  given  would,  with  the  additions  just  men- 
tioned, cost  (for  labor)  fifty  dollars . Of  course,  the  timber 
used  would  be  that  grown  on  the  farm,  and  the  farm  hands 
should  give  the  carpenter  assistance  where  required. 

PLAN  OF  No.  1. 

The  Log  House  has  been  but  too  much  neglected  in  its 
interior  arrangement  and  plan ; as  if,  because  its  construction 
costs  so  little,  it  were  unworthy  of  improvement.  Yet  how 
susceptible  is  this  mode  of  building  of  an  hundred  little 
reforms  which  would  conduce  to  its  comfort.  Almost  every 
settler  in  a forest-home  is  possessed  of  one  idea,  namely : 
that  this,  his  first  dwelling  of  necessity,  is  to  be  replaced,  at 
some  future  time,  by  a more  expansive  (not  a more  comfort- 
able) structure,  and  that  therefore  he  is  not  called  upon  to 
improve  it.  Do  men  so  arguing  ever  calculate  how  many 
years  they  will  probably  occupy  this  as  their  only  residence  — 
the  birthplace  of  their  children  and  the  fond  memorial  of 


1 


2 


n 


A 


J 


[|^BE 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


65 


early  days  and  gallant  struggles?  No,  never;  for  if  they 
looked  so  far  ahead,  they  would  be  sure  to  tax  their  ingenuity 
and  industry  to  make  the  log-house  less  rude,  and  more 
desirable  as  a homestead. 

The  plan  before  us  presents  a simple  yet  very  convenient 
arrangement.  Although  the  entrance-door  is  in  the  center 
of  the  front  wall,  yet  it  will  be  seen  that  the  little  hall  is  so 
formed  as  not  to  interfere  with  the  living  room,  which  is 
fifteen  by  sixteen  feet  square,  while  the  two  bedrooms  on  the 
opposite  side  of  the  hall  are  but  ten  by  eight  feet  square 
each,  yet  provided  with  small  closets,  and  having  a mutual 
communication  with  a small  greenhouse  or  summer  tea-room. 

Attached  to  the  main  building  is  a scullery,  with  a stairs 
leading  to  the  loft  or  attic. 

The  hall  door  is  so  hung  that  when  open  it  screens  the 
living  room  from  the  weather. 

In  the  putting  up  of  the  walls,  it  will  be  advisable  to  lock 
the  corners  or  quoins  well  together,  by  cutting  half  through 
each  pair  of  ends  of  logs,  and  dovetailing  them.  They  should 
be  bored  with  an  inch  and  a half  auger,  and  have  an  oak  pin 
driven  through  them  when  joined  together.  By  observing 
this  instruction  at  each  corner  of  every  layer  of  logs,  great 
strength  will  be  insured,  and  the  eyesore  of  'projecting  ends 
of  logs  be  abolished. 

If  a sawmill  is  within  reach,  the  walls  on  the  inside  might 
be  sheeted  with  half-inch  boards,  as  also  the  ceiling,  and  the 
partitions  may  be  fitted  up  of  inch  and  half  boards. 


G6 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


CHAPTEE  II. 

LOG  ON  END. 

No.  2.  It  will  be  seen  by  this  illustration  that  a very  neat  de- 
sign can  be  constructed  in  this  style  of  log-building,  for  there 
is  not  a difficulty  in  forming  a diversity  of  figure— -oval,  octa- 
gon, or  round  — as  there  is  when  the  logs  are  laid  horizon- 
tally. The  labor  will,  however,  be  something  more,  as  the 
carpenter  will  have  to  find  and  form  the  several  angles  in  the 
caps  and  sills  of  the  walls,  as  well  as  of  the  roof,  which  will 
necessarily  present  hips. 

The  flooring  and  ceiling  also  will  cause  additional  expendi- 
ture of  time,  as  well  as  a waste  of  material.  This  style  is, 
then,  of  necessity,  much  more  expensive  than  the  horizontal 
log,  noticed  in  the  former  chapter.* 

The  design  here  presented  will  demand  an  outlay  of  some- 
thing less  than  a hundred  and  fifty  dollars  for  labor. 

This  same  plan  and  elevation  may  be  built  of  brick,  stone, 
or  concrete,  in  or  near  cities;  but  for  the  country,  where 
cedar,  spruce,  or  pine  is  plenty,  the  log-on-end  most  strongly 
recommends  itself,  as  being  very  rustic-looking,  pretty  in  its 
effect,  and  affording  a chance  for  some  unique  forms  of 
chambers. 

Care  should  be  taken  to  select  logs  of  equal  breadth,  say, 
ten  inches  each,  so  as  to  give  evenness  of  wall. 

No  furring  for  wall-plastering  will  be  necessary,  as  the  pro- 
jection of  the  upright  logs  will  answer  to  nail  the  lathing  to. 


Compton,  'Buffalo 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


67 


PLAN  OF  No.  2. 

The  construction  of  houses  with  logs  placed  on  end,  as 
remarked  in  a former  chapter,  admits  of  some  pretty  forms 
of  plan:  as  in  the  one  here  given,  the  corners,  or  right  angles, 
are  cut  off.  The  cap-pieces  should  be  well  framed  and  firmly 
secured  together,  as  the  perpendicularity  of  the  walls  depends 
altogether  on  the  precaution  taken  in  this  respect.  The  walls 
and  ceiling  may  be  sheeted  inside,  as  in  the  preceding  plan. 

Log  on  End  No.  3.  If  the  logs  procured  be  eighteen  or 
twenty  inches  thick,  they  may  be  sawed  down  the  middle  and 
set  ivp  flat  face  and  round  face  alternately,  so  as  to  present,  on 
the  outside,  a relief  between  the  round  tree-trunks.  There 
will  be  an  advantage  in  this  mode  of  upright  log  building  in 
the  broad  lap  which  will  necessarily  cover  the  joints.  The 
quoins  or  angles  of  the  building  must  be  three  quarters  of 
a round  trunk  or  log,  with  a single  section  or  quarter  cut  out 
of  it. 

This  latter  form  would  be  still  more  expensive  than  the 
former,  inasmuch  as  every  log  would  have  to  be  correctly 
sawed  in  halves  down  its  length.  But  neither  form  would 
be  so  expensive  as  to  deter  a man  of  some  taste  from  employ- 
ing them,  and  certainly  their  appearance  would  be  picturesque 
in  a rural  location. 

The  caps  and  sills  may  be  secured  to  the  upright  logs  by 
oak  pins  two  inches  thick  and  eight  or  ten  inches  long. 
These  pins  would  be  better  square  than  round,  to  prevent 
the  possibility  of  the  logs  turning  in  the  least. 

The  rafters  should  be  notched  down  upon  the  caps  to  give 
additional  firmness  to  the  whole. 


68 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


This  last  design  would,  for  a building  18  by  29,  cost  within 
the  range  of  $200  to  $850,  provided  the  timber  were  near, 
and  a sawmill  at  hand. 

PLAN  OF  No.  3. 

This  plan  is  simple,  yet  sufficient  for  a small  family.  The 
construction,  as  in  the  design  just  reviewed,  depends  mainly 
on  the  capping  and  ceiling  joists  for  support.  The  walls  and 
ceiling  may  be  sheeted  with  boards,  as  in  the  former  plans. 

In  case  the  trunks  intended  for  the  walls  are  over  twelve 
inches  diameter,  it  would  be  advisable  to  reduce  them  by 
sawing  the  surplus  thickness  at  the  center  into  boards,  and 
using  only  the  outer  sections,  or  slabs,  the  edges  of  which 
should  be  made  straight. 


Plate  N-  4. 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


69 


CHAPTER  III. 

FRAME  BUILDING. 

No.  4.  In  this  perspective  may  be  found  a pretty  design 
for  a cottage  orne.  The  stoop  is  a continuation  of  the  roof, 
sustained  by  rustic  pillars  trellised ; and  when  the  braces 
occur,  slices  of  tree  trunks  having  the  bark  on  are  nailed  on 
the  outside.  The  quarterings  are  filled  in  with  neatly  laid 
choice  red  brick,  (pressed  brick,  if  possible.) 

The  work  of  a building  such  as  this  would  necessarily  be 
expensive,  and  consequently  it  could  not  be  recommended  to 
a man  whose  means  forbid  his  attempting  anything  more  than 
a dwelling;  — unless  a man  possessed  a little  taste  and  skill, 
and  occupied  his  leisure  hours  in  tacking  on  the  various  little 
addenda  which  give  to  it  its  peculiarity  of  character.  In  this 
case,  the  design  would  not  cost  much  more  than  an  ordinary 
frame  of  the  same  sort;  which,  for  a building  of  dimensions 
twenty  by  thirty  feet,  would  range  from  $260  to  $400,  ac- 
cording to  the  cost  of  material  in  the  locality,  and  allowing  a 
plain,  substantial  finish  within. 

PLAN  OF  No.  4. 

The  frame  design,  of  which  this  is  the  plan,  is  upon  a small 
scale ; but  can,  of  course,  be  built  to  suit  any  greater  expen- 
diture of  money.  This  is  a very  ornate  style  of  building,  and 
yet  not  expensive.  The  walls  are  intended  to  be  eleven  feet 
high  at  the  quoins.  At  eight  feet  high,  they  are  to  be  braced 
by  a stoutly  framed  capping,  on  which  the  joists  for  the  second 
or  attic  floor  are  to  be  hafted  and  spiked  down. 


70 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


Lathing  and  plastering  will  be  required  for  the  wails  and 
ceilings,  taking  care  to  leave  a space  between  the  plastering 
and  the  brickwork,  so  as  to  insure  a freedom  from  dampness. 

The  Wyatt  or  bay  window  in  the  sitting-room  may  be  very 
simply  constructed,  formed,  in  fact,  by  the  sections  of  the 
framework  of  the  walls,  projected  and  covered  in  with  a rustic 
balcony  around  the  top.  The  chimney-flue  is  built  upon  the 
attic  floor.  The  attic  is  divided  into  two  sleeping  rooms. 

No.  5.  We  have  here  a frame  cottage,  octagonal  in 
plan,  and  having  a stoop  all  around  it  four  feet  out  from 
the  walls. 

The  numerous  angles,  as  well  as  the  number  of  roof-hips 
would  cause  much  waste  of  stuff,  in  this  building.  But, 
where  such  would  not  be  a barrier  to  its  erection,  a most 
desirable  form  would  be  found  in  it  — light  and  elegant  in 
its  effect.  The  cost  of  such  a frame,  under  all  circumstances, 
would  be  from  $300  to  $500,  supposing  it  to  be  twenty-five 
feet  in  diameter  within  the  walls. 

The  chimney  must  rise  in  the  center,  whatever  may  be  the 
plan  carried  out  for  the  interior. 

The  eaves-gutters  in  this  design  must  be  located  behind 
the  raised  ornamented  work  terminating  the  roof,  and  the 
rain-water  may  be  drawn  off  through  a pipe  in  the  rear, 
passing  through  the  pillars,  or  forming  one  of  them. 

This  cottage  may  be  lathed  and  plastered  on  the  outside, 
and  receive  a finish  of  rough-cast — -or  be  plastered  in  three 
coats,  receiving  at  last  a hard  finish,  which,  when  rule-jointed, 
will  give  a very  neat  appearance. 


4 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


71 


PLAN  OF  No.  5. 

This  is  an  octagon,  completely  surrounded  with  a stoop  or 
ambulatory  formed  by  the  projection  of  the  roof,  sustained 
at  the  eaves  by  coupled  columns.  The  arrangement  of  the 
plan  here  given  will  be  found  to  be  desirable,  giving  a hand- 
some form  of  sitting-room,  lighted  by  three  windows,  two 
convenient  bedrooms,  though  small,  and  a kitchen,  with 
pantry.  The  hall  is  unique  in  shape,  but  may  be  made  to 
look  very  pretty.  It  is  to  be  lighted  with  glass  panels  in  the 
hall  door. 

The  central  situation  of  the  chimney,  besides  giving  two 
good  fireplaces,  is  well  calculated  to  diffuse  heat  through 
the  house. 

This  cottage  may  be  constructed  either  in  frame,  by  plank 
on  flat,  or  in  brickwork.  If  in  frame,  it  may  be  filled  in  with 
brick,  like  its  predecessor,  or  not.  If  not,  it  can  be  lathed 
and  plastered  inside  and  outside,  or  clapboarded  on  the  out- 
side, according  to  taste  or  circumstances. 


72 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDEE. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

PLANK  BUILDING, 

No.  6.  This  mode  of  building  gives  a chance  for  various 
quirks  in  the  plan,  although  any  deviation  from  the  rectangu- 
lar form  is,  of  necessity,  accompanied  by  extra  expense,  which 
it  would  often  be  advisable  to  avoid.  The  design  here  given 
is  perfectly  plain  in  this  respect,  and,  with  the  single  excep- 
tion of  the  ornamented  pediment  over  the  entrance,  has  no 
feature  that  adds  to  its  estimate  as  a simple  dwelling. 

A cottage  like  this— -say  twenty-four  by  eighteen  feet  in 
plan — might  be  laid  up,  by  a carpenter  and  two  assistants, 
in  a very  few  days;  and  in  case  a sawmill  were  near,  and 
lumber  plenty,  its  cost  might  not  exceed  two  hundred  dol- 
lars, and  it  is  possible  it  might  be  constructed  for  one  hun- 
dred and  fifty.  It  will  be  borne  in  mind  that  the  planks  must 
be  so  laid  that  every  alternate  course  shall  project,  and  thus 
answer  for  lathing,  within  and  without.  These  planks  should 
not  exceed  one  inch  and  a half  in  thickness. 

The  alternate  breadths  of  planks  might  be  six  inches  and 
five  respectively,  so  that  whilst  the  projection  of  courses 
necessary  for  lathing  is  given  on  the  inside,  the  outside  may 
be  flush. 

PLAN  OF  No.  6. 

The  small  cottage,  of  which  this  is  the  plan,  affords  little 
chance  for  division  of  space ; yet,  with  the  kitchen  wing,  it 
will  prove  a convenient,  as  well  as  a neat-looking  dwelling. 


Compton,TM'Mo. 


ContnloTi.'B'uffalo 


| 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


73 


It  has  a good  living  room,  a small  parlor  with  a bed  sink, 
and  a comfortable  kitchen,  with  a bedroom  and  pantry 
attached. 

No.  7.  This  design  presents  two  pedimented  projections, 
flanking  a porch  or  stoop,  formed  by  the  continuation  of  the 
roof  of  main  part  being  flush  with  their  cornices.  It  is  obvi- 
ous that  this  would  be  a very  convenient  as  well  as  uniform 
front. 

The  facia  board,  which  forms  the  cornice,  is  nothing  more 
than  a plain  ground,  on  which  acorns  or  rosets  may  be  stuck. 

The  panels  in  each  pediment  are  to  be  of  wood  an  inch 
and  a half  thick,  diamond  shaped;  on  which  a circle  is  to  be 
placed,  three-quarters  of  an  inch  thick,  with  a plain  bead 
moulding  round  it. 

The  pillars  sustaining  the  roof  might  be  slender,  plain, 
and  graceful.  Cedar,  or  saplings  of  any  sort,  might  be 
used  with  a pretty  effect;  but  the  necks  and  bases  should  be 
bound  with  iron  rings  to  prevent  splitting.  The  base,  or  ter- 
race, on  which  this  design  stands,  may  be  boxed  around,  with 
hemlock  plank,  braced  with  cedar  buts  on  the  outside,  and 
then  filled  in  with  rubbish  to  the  top.  The  sloped  sides  to  be 
formed  by  filling  in  between  the  braces  with  earth.  The 
whole  might  be  neatly  sodded.  The  flight  of  steps  to  be  of 
two-inch  hemlock,  or  oak,  spiked  on  stout  sleepers  or  car 
riages,  and  finished  with  coarse  paint  and  size,  on  which  fine 
sifted  sand  is  to  be  thrown. 


74 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


PLAN  OP  No.  7. 

This  form  is  unique;  it  presents  two  gabled  flanks,  be- 
tween which  the  porch  extends. 

The  hall-door  opens  into  a living  room,  off  of  which  is  a 
bedroom,  and  inside  of  which,  and  occupying  one  of  the 
flanks,  is  a kitchen,  with  a bedroom  and  pantry  off.  The 
other  flank  is  occupied  by  a sitting-room  and  a bedroom. 


7 


Plafp  .f.R 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


75 


CHAPTER  Y. 

PLANK  ON  EDGE. 

No.  8.  The  plan  of  a cottage  built  in  this  fashion  must  be 
square  or  oblong,  on  account  of  the  difficulty  to  be  encoun- 
tered in  the  securing  of  the  quoins  or  angles. 

The  planks  to  be  used  may  be  seasoned  hemlock,  and  must 
be  not  less  than  two  inches  in  thickness.  They  should  be 
grooved  on  each  edge,  and,  as  each  course  is  set  down  in  its 
place,  a stout  slip  of  hardwood  is  to  be  hammered  into  the 
groove,  enough  of  projection  being  left  to  enter  the  under 
edge  groove  of  the  next  plank  to  close  down  upon  it.  Thus 
will  every  course  be  perfectly  secured  throughout,  as  far  as 
that  goes.  The  quoins  may  be  hafted,  each  plank  end  into 
the  corresponding  one;  or,  better  still,  they  might  be  dove- 
tailed, like  the  corners  of  a box. 

In  the  design  before  us,  perfect  simplicity  is  all  that  is 
aimed  at.  The  roof  is  made  to  cover  a stoop,  and  the  ceiling 
joists  are  let  down  into  the  top  course  of  plank,  the  better  to 
bind  the  walls  together. 

This  cottage,  although  small,  is  comfortable;  and  when 
strong  studs  are  spiked  on  the  inside,  to  take  the  lathing  at 
twelve  inches  apart,  from  center  to  center,  the  walls  will  be 
quite  strong. 

The  design  here  given  is  30  by  18;  and  its  cost,  under  ad- 
vantageous circumstances — as  the  neighborhood  of  lumber 
and  sawmill — might  not  exceed  $180.  Under  different  cir- 
cumstances, the  estimate  would  range  as  high  as  $300. 

The  platform  of  the  porch  or  stoop  should  be  curbed 


76 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


around  with  stout  hemlock  plank,  three  inches  thick,  and 
filled  in  with  rubbish,  the  surface  to  be  formed  of  coarse 
grout,  six  inches  thick,  finished  off  with  a thin  coat  of  dry 
gravel.  The  pillars  of  the  stoop,  being  also  the  supporters 
of  the  roof-eaves  of  main  building,  must  be  well  seasoned 
oak,  three  by  two  inches  each,  secured  to  the  curb  of  plat- 
form by  spikes,  and  being  set  in  the  ground  underneath  it. 

It  is  worthy  of  consideration  how  perfectly  weather-tight 
this  plank-on-edge  building  can  be  made  by  the  application 
of  white  lead  and  oil  to  the  grooved  joints.  It  is  also  a great 
object  in  this  style,  that  it  is  so  easily  to  be  executed:  any 
ordinary  hands  being  fully  capable  of  putting  it  together. 

Another  way  of  forming  the  quoins  is  to  erect  four  stout 
square  posts,  secured  to  the  sills  and  to  the  roof;  and  on  the 
two  inner  faces  of  each  to  nail  slips,  between  which  the  planks 
forming  the  walls  are  to  be  held  tight. 

If  this  plan  be  adopted  in  erecting  such  buildings  in  towns, 
on  leased  ground,  no  nail  need  be  driven  in  the  planks;  but 
the  whole  of  the  lumber  be  taken  down  in  a seasoned  state, 
and  without  any  injury  other  than  will  arise  from  waste  in 
the  cutting  of  stuff*  to  leave  opens  for  windows  and  doors. 

Another  method  of  building  plank-on-edge  is  to  stud  the 
walls  around  at  every  three  and  a half  feet,  and  groove  these 
studs,  sliding  down  the  planks  tightly  between  them.  The 
gain  in  this  will  be  that  the  studs  will  take  the  lathing  on 
the  inside.  The  outside  face  of  the  studs  might  be  much 
improved  by  having  the  angles  beveled  off. 

Slices  of  bark  might  be  tacked  on  these  studs;  in  which 
case,  the  pillars  sustaining  the  eaves  of  porch  should  be  made 
to  conform.  A pretty  rustic  effect  might  thus  be  obtained. 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER, 


77 


PLAN  OF  No.  8. 

The  arrangement  of  space  in  this  little  dwelling  is  divided 
in  the  only  convenient  form  attainable.  It  is  very  small,  it 
is  true,  yet  very  snug ; and  would  answer  a man  and  his  wife 
without  children.  Plank  on  edge  would  be  a capital  mode 
of  constructing  the  walls,  if  lumber  were  cheap. 


78 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Ho.  9.  Here  is  a design  wliicli  might  be  executed  in  the 
plank-on-edge  mode,  with  very  good  effect ; and  located  in  a 
newly  cleared  country,  be  made  at  once  comfortable,  sub- 
stantial, and  economical.  It  is  also  suitable  for  adobe , con- 
crete, and  plank-on-flat. 

The  entrance-door  has  an  arched  hood,  formed  of  ribs, 
covered  with  narrow  staves,  over  which  coarse  canvas  may 
be  stretched,  and  be  well  primed  and  painted. 

A hood  may  also  be  formed  over  the  windows  in  end  walls 
in  the  same  manner.  These  adjuncts,  trifling  in  expense, 
will  prove  features  in  the  design  worth  the  time  and  trouble 
in  forming  them. 

The  chimney-shaft  above  the  roof  may,  if  brick  or  stone 
be  scarce,  be  formed  of  basswood,  previously  soaked  in  brine* 
the  four  sides  to  be  secured  together  by  two  hoop-iron  frames. 
Any  description  of  moulding  may  be  nailed  on  to  this  shaft, 
and  the  whole  should  be  coated  with  size,  and  thickly  sanded. 

The  walls  should  likewise  be  sanded,  and  the  porch  may 
be  trellised  with  laths,  or  left  plain  as  shown  in  the  design. 
In  th’e  former  case,  the  porch  might  be  decorated  with  scarlet 
runner,  sweet  pea,  or  any  of  the  more  tender  creeping  plants; 
while  in  the  latter  case,  woodbine,  jessamine,  grape,  or  any 
of  the  stronger  vines,  might  be  reared  around  it. 

This  design  being  28  by  20  feet,  might  be  erected  for 
from  $150  to  $250,  or  even  less  than  these  estimates  if 
judiciously  done. 


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|X) 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


79 


The  roof  may  be  planked,  or  shingled,  as  may  be  desired; 
if  the  former,  the  planks  must  be  narrow  breadths,  say  six 
inches,  matched,  and  the  joints  covered  with  slats  two  and 
a half  inches  wide,  bedded  in  white  lead,  or  any  oil  color. 

In  this,  as  indeed  in  all  cases,  the  roof  should  project  over 
eighteen  inches,  giving  shelter  to  the  walls,  and  effect  to  the 
tout  ensemble . 

PLAN  OF  No.  9. 

Here  is  a most  desirable  little  cottage,  if  erected  in 
adobe , concrete , or  in  pise.  Its  external  wall  ought  to  be 
sixteen  or  even  eighteen  inches  thick  at  the  base,  and  twelve 
inches  thick  at  the  top,  the  inclination  or  batter  being  on  the 
outside. 

The  partition  walls  might  be  of  the  same  material  as  the 
external  walls,  and  be  six  inches  thick. 

No  lathing  will  be  required,  and  but  a thin  coat  of  plas- 
tering, if  any. 

The  chimney  may  be  of  kiln-burned  brick. 


80 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDEK. 


CHAPTEE  VII. 

No.  10.  This  design  may  likewise  be  executed  in  plank- 
on-edge,  and  present  a very  neat  appearance. 

The  windows  are  to  be  triplicated,  or  cut  in  three  opes 
each.  Each  window  section  to  turn  on  a pivot,  be  hung  on 
hinges,  or  be  made  to  slide  up  or  down  between  laths. 

The  stoop  or  porch  is  intended  to  return  on  each  end:  thus 
sheltering  the  walls  on  three  sides.  The  roof  of  this  stoop 
is  to  be  attached  to  the  ends  of  the  rafters  of  the  dwelling, 
and  be  boarded  with  short  plank  of  thin  ash,  the  joints  to 
be  covered  full  four  inches,  with  slats  screwed  or  nailed 
down  on  them.  The  supporters  to  be  neatly  finished  posts, 
and  a scallop  trimmed  eaves-board  to  be  nailed  to  the  ends 
of  the  ribs. 

The  walls  of  the  house  are  to  be  painted  a light  terra 
sienna  tint,  and  the  roof  of  porch  is  to  be  painted  alternately 
umber  and  sienna — 'the  window  sashes  and  hall  door,  white. 

This  neat  little  dwelling,  built  according  to  the  plan,  30 
by  18,  will  cost  between  $175  and  $300. 

• PLAN  OF  No.  10. 

This  plan  may  also  be  constructed  in  concrete , pise , or  adobe , 
and  a very  neat  and  unpretending  dwelling  it  will  make, 
having  a stoop  on  three  sides  of  it. 


' V 


C omptou,  "Buffalo , 


I'  Is  OJA- 


ICOXOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


81 


CHAPTER  YIII. 

Ho.  11.  We  now  present  a class  of  cottages  of  more  pre- 
tension than  the  foregoing,  adapted  to  suburban  locations  or 
highly  cultivated  farms. 

The  one  under  consideration  presents  a front  composed  of 
two  projecting  wings,  flanking  an  open  facade  or  porch. 
These  wings  are  three-faced,  each  face  pierced  for  a window 
section.  It  would  be  very  troublesome,  and  necessarily  ex- 
pensive, to  construct  this  or  the  succeeding  designs  in  plank- 
on-edge  or  plank-on-flat.  Brick  or  stone  are  the  most  suitable 
materials,  although  it  might  well  be  framed  and  clapboarded, 
or  framed  and  lathed  and  plastered.  But  the  many  angles 
would  so  increase  the  expense,  that  scarcely  any  saving  would 
result  to  the  builder  of  such  a house. 

Built  of  brick  rough-jointed,  and  coated  with  mastic  colored 
light  buff,  it  will  look  very  neat. 

Erected  in  rubble-stone,  embellished  with  bush-hammered 
caps,  sills,  jambs,  and  bases,  it  would  present  a striking 
effect,  especially  in  sandstone. 

The  chimney-caps  and  bases  should  be  stone  hammer- 
dressed,  whether  the  house  be  erected  in  brick  or  stone. 

This  design,  executed  in  stone  as  above,  with  suitable 
internal  finish,  would  cost  from  1,800  to  2,500  dollars. 

The  same  built  in  brick  and  mastic,  finished  internally  as 
just  proposed,  would  range  in  expense  from  1,000  to  1,800 
dollars. 


6 


82 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


PLAN  OF  No.  11. 

An  elegant  yet  inexpensive  design  is  here  presented,  the 
plan  being  compact,  convenient,  and  in  every  way  comfort- 
able, with  a small  attic. 

The  walls  may  be  constructed  of  any  one  of  the  various 
materials  presented  in  this  book,  and  the  work  may  be  car- 
ried out  on  almost  any  scale  of  expense,  from  humble  plain- 
ness to  elegance  and  cost. 

Different  arrangements  of  plan  can  be  made,  but  this  is 
worthy  of  notice. 


10 


3- 


BEER. 


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ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


83 


CHAPTER  IX. 

Ho.  12.  We  have  here  a cottage  which,  properly  executed, 
would  present  a very  unique  effect,  with  its  circular  hoods 
over  circular  headed  windows,  forming  part  of  the  roof,  and 
breaking  up  the  sameness  which  straight  lines  of  eaves  inva- 
riably convey  to  the  mind. 

The  windows  of  this  cottage  should  be  of  plate  glass,  in  two 
pieces  to  each  section,  the  sashes  to  be  hinged  to  the  jambs. 

The  hall  door  should  be  recessed  in  two  deep  torus  mould- 
ings, forming  the  case.  The  upper  panel  may  be  a circular 
plate  of  glass,  the  eighth  of  an  inch  thick.  There  is  to  be 
a moulded  facia  board  spiked  on  to  the  eaves.  It  is  to  be 
embellished  with  wooden  buttons,  spiked  on  at  equal  distances, 
distributed  along  its  surface. 

This  design  may  be  erected  in  brick  and  mastic,  like  the 
former,  or  in  stone. 

The  roof  may  be  of  corrugated  iron  or  shingles;  if  the 
latter,  they  should  be  neatly  patterned.  The  chimney-tops 
may  be  of  cast-iron,  as  may  also  be  the  ornaments  on  the 
hoods. 

The  interior  arrangement  of  this  design  should  be  in  keep- 
ing with  the  external  effect — striking,  without  tawdriness. 

The  estimated  expense  of  such  a cottage  would  be : 

In  frame,  lathed  and  plastered  inside  and  out,  coated  with  cement, 


and  made  to  represent  stone,  from $1,500  to  $2,000 

In  brick,  coated  with  mastic,  from 1,800  to  2,800 

In  rubble-stone,  with  bush-hammored  finish,  from 2,000  to  2,500 


84 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BIJILDEK. 


This  design  would  look  well  in  the  center  of  an  acre  of 
richly  cultivated  garden ; or  in  the  vicinity  of  a small  lake, 
with  handsome  shrubbery,  and  judiciously  laid  out  parterres. 

The  out-offices  should,  in  this,  as,  indeed,  in  every  arrange- 
ment, be  studiously  kept  in  the  background,  or  partially  con- 
cealed by  trees. 

PLAN  OF  No.  12.1 

Here  is  another  and  still  more  elaborate  plan,  in  which 
luxury  without  extravagance  may  well  be  enjoyed.  The 
niches  at  either  side  of  the  hall  door  are  to  be  filled  by 
statuary,  and  the  inner  hall  or  vestibule  may  have  similar 
niches  at  the  corners.  This  plan  will  be  found  to  work  well, 
and  afford  ample  room  for  the  display  of  taste  in  furnishing 
the  rooms. 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


85 


CHAPTER  X. 

No.  13.  Tlie  advantage  of  this  design  is  its  adaptation  to 
the  cheaper  modes  of  building.  It  can  be  erected  in  frame  or 
board,  as  well  as  in  brick  or  stone.  Its  dimensions  are  40 
bj  30  feet. 

It  will  be  observed  that  the  two  angles  of  the  gable  just 
above  the  roof  of  stoop  are  recessed,  while  the  front  below  is 
unbroken.  This  will  present  a pleasing  variation  from  the  usual 
uniformity  in  that  part,  and  tend  to  make  the  whole  unique. 

Its  lines  and  angles  are  in  keeping  throughout,  giving  to 
the  whole  a pleasing  unity  of  effect.  Such  a cottage  can  be 
made  to  cost  much  or  little,  in  proportion  to  material  or 
internal  finish,  and  therefore  comes  within  the  range  of  the 
more  or  less  wealthy. 

Erected  in  rubble-stone  work,  with  hammer-dressed  finish, 
and  elegant  interior  execution,  it  will  cost  from  $1,800  to 
$2,500. 

Built  of  brick  and  stuccoed,  with  equal  internal  finish, 
$1,300  to  $2,000. 

If  constructed  of  frame,  lathed,  plastered  and  stuccoed, 
with  genteel  finish  inside,  $1,000  to  $1,800. 

Frame  clapboarded,  and  similar  finish  inside  to  that  just 
mentioned,  $800  to  $1,600. 

PLAN  OF  No.  13. 

This  plan  is  characterized  by  convenience  without  display. 
The  attic  is  divided  into  two  rooms,  with  closets. 

The  walls  may  be  built  of  any  attainable  material. 


86 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER* 


CHAPTER  XI. 

No.  14.  This  design  is  also  adapted  to  the  cheaper  modes 
of  construction,  as  in  the  preceding  chapter. 

Like  that  cottage,  it  has  a chamber  in  the  roof,  and  gives 
about  the  same  accommodation  in  its  plan. 

The  roof  of  the  porch  or  stoop  is  sustained,  at  the  extremes 
only,  by  coupled  pillars  braced  firmly  together  at  top  and 
bottom.  Around  these,  some  creeping  vine  should  be  trained 
to  climb. 

Executed  in  rubble-stone  work,  with  hammer-dressed  finish, 
and  fine  interior  finish,  it  will  cost  from  $2,000  to  $2,800. 

In  brickwork,  stuccoed,  and  finished  respectably  inside,  it 
will  average  from  $1,500  to  $2,800. 

Constructed  of  frame,  lathed,  plastered  and  stuccoed,  with 
fair  finish  inside,  $1,100  to  $1,900. 

Erame  clapboarded,  with  fair  interior  finish,  from  $900  to 
$1,700. 


PLAN  OF  No.  14. 

The  dimensions  of  this  plan  are  proposed  to  be  thirty  feet 
square,  with  a lean-to  addition  in  the  rear.  The  hall  runs 
quite  through  the  house,  and  is  five  feet  wide.  On  one  side 
are  the  kitchen  and  dining-room,  with  a bedroom  and  pantry 
in  the  lean-to;  on  the  other  side  are  a parlor  and  bedroom, 
with  children’s  dormitory  in  the  lean-to. 

Each  of  the  principal  rooms  may  be  twelve  feet  by  fourteen 
feet. 


• 13 

zmri...:— 


15 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDEE. 


87 


Their  height  to  be  nine  feet. 

An  attic  chamber,  lighted  on  three  sides,  to  be  formed  in 
the  roof. 

The  chimney-flues  from  each  side  of  the  house  must  meet 
in  an  arch  in  this  attic,  dividing  it  into  two  chambers:  the 
smoke  to  find  common  vent  through  the  flue  over  center,  as 
shown  in  the  preceding  elevation. 

The  platform  on  which  this  cottage  stands  is  laid  out  to  be 
forty  feet  square,  and  about  two  feet  high. 


88 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

No.  15.  We  have  here  a cottage  orne  of  one  and  a half 
stories,  of  higher  pretensions  than  its  predecessors.  It  is 
50  feet  front  by  35  feet  in  depth,  and  15  feet  post.  The 
proportions  are  good,  and  the  general  aspect  well  adapted  to 
a thickly  planted  locality.  The  Gothic  window  in  front  gable 
should  be  filled  with  French  plate-glass,  of  good  dimensions : 
in  fact,  of  the  full  size  of  the  ope,  if  possible.  The  entrance- 
door  might  have  half  panels  of  thick  glass  to  light  the  hall. 

All  the  front  windows  should  be  hinged,  and  the  frames  be 
finished  in  the  Tudor-Gothic  style. 

This  design  may  be  executed  in  plank,  frame,  brick,  or 
stone,  and  will  cost  between  $1,200  and  $3,000,  according 
to  material  and  interior  finish. 

There  is  ample  room  for  the  display  of  taste  in  the  carry- 
ing out  of  this  design;  and  where  the  interior  is  to  be  finished 
in  groin  ceilings  and  paneled  walls,  a perfect  gem  of  taste 
can  be  produced. 

PLAN  OF  No.  15. 

This  plan  is  laid  out  at  forty  feet  front,  and  it  will  at  once 
be  seen  what  convenience  and  comfort  are  combined  in  it. 

There  is  a good  attic,  amply  lighted  from  the  front  and 


rear. 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


89 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

No.  16.  Another  design  is  here  presented  of  a cottage 
of  the  better  class,  which,  being  but  one  story  in  height,  is 
not  as  expensive  as  the  one  just  spoken  of.  Its  dimensions 
to  be  equal  to  that. 

The  vestibule  or  inner  hall,  in  this  specimen,  is  lighted  by 
the  lantern  or  cupola  in  the  roof,  and  the  rooms  all  open  off 
of  that  vestibule. 

The  parabolic  curve  given  to  the  roof  is  a remarkable  fea- 
ture in  this  design,  and  is  in  good  keeping  with  the  elliptic 
arches  of  recesses  in  which  the  windows  are  set. 

In  the  ceiling  of  the  vestibule,  a circular  or  wheel  window 
is  to  be  set,  filled  with  bright-colored  stained  glass,  the  light 
comma:  through  it  from  the  lantern  above. 

The  walls  of  this  cottage  may  be  built  of  pise,  sun-dried 
brick,  or  concrete,  as  well  as  of  stone,  brick,  or  frame. 

In  appearance,  when  built,  as  well  as  in  internal  economy, 
this  will  be  a desirable  design,  and  may  be  estimated  from 
the  most  simple  to  the  most  complex  style  of  construction, 
at  from  $500  to  $2,500. 

PLAN  OF  No.  16. 

Here  is  the  last  of  our  plans  of  single  cottages.  The  ves- 
tibule is  lighted  from  the  cupola  in  the  roof,  the  well-hole  of 
the  circular  staircase  being  cased  in  and  balustraded. 

This  well-hole  might  have  a circular-framed  horizontal 
window  set  in  it,  filled  with  lights  of  vari-colored  stained 


80 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


glass,  which  would  have  a very  nice  effect  on  the  vestibule, 
without  interfering;  with  the  lighting  of  the  attic  at  all. 

o o o 

In  concluding  these  observations  on  single  cottages,  it 
would  be  well  to  have  it  perfectly  understood  that  the  plans 
can  be  built  of  dimensions  to  suit  the  taste  or  requirements 
of  the  party  building  any  of  them. 


/ 


17 


•V 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


91 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

DOUBLE  COTTAGES. 

REMARKS. 

In  cities,  where  everything  tending  to  economy  is  desirable, 
the  introduction  of  double  cottages  is  worthy  of  attention. 

The  party-wall  may  be  no  thicker  than  an  ordinary  wall; 
and,  if  the  chimneys  be  built  in  it,  there  is  a considerable 
saving  of  material,  labor,  and  space. 

The  roof,  too,  is  another  economical  feature ; and,  through- 
out, a thousand  little  gains  are  to  be  had  by  the  adoption  of 
this  system. 

The  well,  or  pump,  should  be  on  the  line  of  the  fence 
dividing  the  respective  gardens,  with  a handle  on  each  side. 
Here  is  another  source  of  saving. 

The  hall  doors  may  be  together  on  the  front,  or  set  in  a 
porch  or  vestibule  at  the  side  of  each  house.  The  latter  plan 
is,  perhaps,  the  more  desirable,  as  it  does  not  bring  distinct 
families  into  unnecessary  contact. 

The  party-wall  should  be  soundly  built,  and  deadened  on 
both  sides:  that  is,  furred  out,  and  lined  in  between  plaster- 
ing with  tanbark. 


92 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


CHAPTER  XV. 

No.  17.  Here  are  two  cottages  of  tlie  humbler  class, 
suited  to  mechanics  of  small  means.  The  block  is  26  feet 
long  by  26  feet  deep,  and  stands  upon  a platform  or  base  two 
feet  and  a half  high.  It  is  one  and  a half  story ; and  the 
cellars  are  under  the  woodshed,  being*  two  feet  below  the 
platform  and  two  feet  above  it : making  the  height  of  the 
cellar  six  feet  and  a half  inside.  The  dimensions  of  each 
cellar  should  be  10  by  12.  Shelves  to  be  arranged  all  around 
in  three  tiers.  The  roof  of  cellars  above  platform  to  be 
arched  either  with  brick,  stone,  or  woodwork,  and  the  cover 
to  be  well  sodded. 

This  cottage  block  may  be  built  of  whatever  material  is 
most  convenient  and  cheapest. 

If  of  brickwork,  the  expense  of  a foundation  may  be 
avoided  by  setting  down  a sill  on  the  platform,  sustained  by 
stout  cedar  posts  at  every  five  feet  apart.  This  sill  should 
be  twelve  inches  square,  and  be  made  perfectly  level  on  top. 
On  it  the  brick  walls  may  stand  securely  if  well  done. 

In  the  same  manner  if  adobe , or  sun-dried  brick,  be  used, 
or  even  if  concrete  is  the  material  built  with.  In  the  two 
latter  cases,  it  will  be  absolutely  necessary  to  make  the  roof 
project  beyond  the  walls  not  less  than  two  feet. 

The  block  can  be  erected  in  adobe  for  one-third  what  it 
would  cost  in  brick;  and  might  not  cost  in  any  material  over 
from  $300  to  $800  per  cottage. 


Plate  17. 


I 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


98 


PLAN  OP  No.  17. 

Here  is  a double  cottage  in  which  the  hall  doors  open  into 
a porch,  leaving  the  respective  tenants  of  each  house  perfectly 
independent  of  each  other,  and,  indeed,  as  much  apart  as 
though  the  twin  dwellings  were  separate  and  distinct  from 
each  other. 


Ho.  18.  This  is  a design  for  a double  cottage  of  a still 
humbler  class  than  the  former,  and  would  admirably  suit 
laborers.  Plainly  finished  inside  and  outside.  The  dimen- 
sions to  be  48  by  16  for  the  whole  block,  and  12  feet  high 
at  the  quoins.  The  roof  to  be  quarter  pitch. 

The  doors  in  this  plan  are  to  be  in  the  center  of  the  front 
of  each  cottage,  having  windows  on  each  side  of  them.  The 
chimney  will  have  double  breasts,  one  for  each  apartment ; 
and  one  recess  of  said  chimney-breast  will  have  a narrow 
stairs  inclosed,  while  the  corresponding  recess  will  be  fitted 
up  as  a cupboard  or  pantry. 

The  principal  floor  will  be  divided  into  a living  room,  16 
by  14,  and  two  bedrooms,  10  by  8 each.  The  upper  or  attic 
floor  will  be  one  room,  24  by  16. 

Such  a block  will  cost  a very  small  sum  according  to  the 
material:  in  some  places  not  exceeding  $300  in  all — and 
from  that  upward. 


PLAN  OF  No.  18. 

A very  substantial  and  quite  unpretending  block  is  here, 
the  plan  of  which  is  obviously  convenient  for  two  families. 


94 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

No.  19.  We  have  here  a very  unique  arrangement  of  a 
double  cottage  orne , well  adapted  for  the  suburbs  of  a city. 
Its  effect  will  be  highly  picturesque,  and  its  lightness  of  gen- 
eral outline  pleasing ; while  its  interior  plan  of  a living  room, 
an  octagon  sitting-room,  and  three  chambers  off,  will  prove 
economical  and  tasteful  at  the  same  time:  the  incidental 
angles  being  applied  to  useful  purposes,  such  as  closets,  etc. 

This  block  can  be  erected  in  every  possible  mode  of  build- 
ing, and  will  not  much  exceed  the  average  estimate  of  from 
$300  to  $500. 

But  this  estimate  is  for  a block  of  similar  dimensions  to 
the  last.  Of  course,  any  increase  would  add  in  proportion  to 
its  cost. 

The  windows  might  be  diamond-pane  lattice,  hung  on 
hinges. 

PLAN  OF  No.  19. 

In  this  plan  the  doors  are  placed  respectively  upon  the 
angles,  thereby  giving  a unique  effect.  The  windows  of  the 
sitting-rooms  are  also  at  angles  corresponding  to  those  of  the 
doors. 


1 


4 


18 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


95 


No.  20.  The  object  of  this  illustration  is  to  show  how 
double  cottages  may  be  placed  lengthwise,  thus  producing  a 
saying  in  frontage  of  lot— —a  very  great  desideratum  in  cities, 
where  building  lots  are  of  a high  value. 

This  block  would  cost  a very  moderate  sum  in  places  where 
pine  lumber  is  worth  about  $5  per  thousand.  If  erected  of 
boards  inch  and  half  thick,  tongued,  grooved,  and  slatted  on 
the  outside,  and  flush  on  the  inside,  it  would  cost  about  $150 
per  cottage:  or  $300  for  the  block  complete. 

No.  21.  Here  is  a reverse  arrangement  of  the  foregoing 
plan.  The  doors  are  at  the  extreme  corners  of  the  fronts 
instead  of  being:  together.  The  estimate  for  this  cottage  block 
would  be  the  same  as  the  preceding  one.  These  blocks  may 
be  in  all  cases  erected  with  great  economy  in  pise,  adobe , or 
sun-dried  brick,  as  also  in  concrete  or  gravel. 

No.  22.  In  this  design  the  entrance  is  on  the  side  of  each 
cottage,  thus  giving  a perfectly  distinct  side  front  to  each, 
and  preventing  the  proximity  of  neighborhood  so  unpleasing 
to  some.  These  entrance-doors  might  have  each  a pretty 
trellised  porch,  which  might  be  continued  to  the  front,  and 
add  much  to  the  appearance  of  the  block.  The  estimate  of 
this  block  would  only  differ  from  that  of  the  former  by  the 
cost  of  the  porch  just  noticed. 

No.  23.  The  last  of  the  designs  of  double  cottages  now 

£3  £3 

presented  is  in  plan  similar  to  the  latter,  with  the  addition  of 
a half-story,  the  stairway  leading  to  which  occupies  the  place  of 
the  bed-sinks  in  that  plan.  There  are  two  good  chambers  in  the 
half-story,  in  which  closets  may  be  formed  about  the  stairway. 


USEFUL  TABLES  FOR  REFERENCE. 


COMPUTED  EXPRESSLY  FOR  THIS  WORK;. 


22  J burnt  bricks make  1 cubic  foot.' 

368§  do.  do “1  pole  or  perch. 

12  sun-dried  or  adobe  brick,  18  by  12  by  6 in’s  each,  “ 1 sqr.  yd.  1 ft.  thick. 

18  do.  do.  do.  12  in’s  sqr.  and  Gin’s  thick,  “ 1 sqr.  yd. 

12  rods  or  perches  are  equal  to 22  yds. 

264  large  size  sun-dried  brick  will  build 12  perches. 

4425  burnt  bricks  would  be  required  for same. 

38  J cubic  feet  of  concrete  deposited “27  cub.  ft.  or  1 cub.  yd. 

*1  bushel  measures  2150.42  cubic  inches,  or  . . . 1|  cubic  feet. 

1 bundle  of  100  sawn  laths  will  cover  for  plastering  . 5|  yds. 

18  cubic  ft.  of  gravel  or  earth  undug  will,  when  dug,  measure  27  cubic  feet. 

18  cubic  ft.  earth,  23  sand,  17  clay  .....  weigh  1 ton. 


CEMENT. 

3 parts  clay,  2 ashes,  and  1 sand,  mixed  with  oil,  make  a very  hard  cement. 
1 lb.  of  putty  will  glaze  12  lights  of  glass. 

Yinegar  put  upon  hard  putty  will  dissolve  it. 

* A box  UK  in.  long,  13%'  in.  wide,  and  11 1-6  in.  deep,  will  hold  a bushel,  very  nearly. 


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21 


AJPPEnSTDIX:. 


A NEW  ERA  IN  BUILDING 


MARBLEIZED  BRICK. 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


99 


APPENDIX. 


A NEW  ERA  IN  BUILDING. 

It  has  long  been  a desideratum  in  the  building  world  to 
obtain  a cheap,  beautiful,  and  durable  building  material — - 
one  that  can  be  obtained  in  all  sections  of  our  country,  and 
one  that  can  be  universally  applied  to  all  kinds  of  architec- 
tural purposes ; and  one,  withal,  obtained  so  cheap  as  to  be 
within  the  reach  of  all.  This  object  has  at  last  been  appa- 
rently obtained;  and  the  result  is  so  satisfactory,  that  if  the 
inventions  stand  the  test  of  time,  they  must  come  eventually 
into  general  use.  I allude  to  the  three  inventions  of  Messrs. 
Foster,  Wood,  and  Hedley:  the  first  for  making  artificial 
granite;  the  second  for  making  a kind  of  artificial  stone; 
and  the  third  for  putting  a coat  of  marble  on  the  granite,  so 
as  to  show  an  exterior  of  marble,  while  the  interior  part  re- 
mains the  same. 

By  a proper  combination  of  these  three  inventions,  the 
most  magnificent  edifice  can  be  erected  of  polished  marble, 
with  sculpture,  statuary,  and  elaborate  mouldings,  at  a cost 
of  less  than  one-tenth  the  price  of  solid  marble.  In  order, 
however,  to  give  the  reader  a clear  and  distinct  idea  of  the 
nature  of  these  three  important  inventions,  I will  describe 
them  in  detail,  together  with  the  chemical  principles  on  which 
they  are  founded. 


100 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


1.  FOSTER’S  ARTIFICIAL  GRANITE. 

This  is  nothing  more  than  common  clean  sand,  or  gravel, 
and  lime,  mixed  together  in  the  proportions  of  eleven  bushels 
of  sand  or  gravel  to  one  bushel  of  unslaked  lime.  The  lime 
is  first  slaked,  and  then  thoroughly  incorporated  with  the 
sand.  Two  methods  have  been  used  to  effect  this:  one  is,  to 
sift  the  sand  and  lime  together,  and  then  thoroughly  stir 
the  mass  together.  (English  farmers  who  lime  their  wheat 
before  sowing  will  understand  the  process  exactly.)  After 
they  are  thus  mixed,  a little  water  is  sprinkled  upon  the 
mixture,  enough  to  make  it  sufficiently  damp  to  pack 
together.  Another  method  is  to  slake  the  lime  and  run 
it  off  in  a box  with  water,  the  same  as  in  ordinary  mortar 
for  plastering,  and  stir  in  sand  enough  to  make  the  requisite 
proportions,  and  leave  it  right  for  packing.  The  last  process 
is  perhaps  the  best. 

After  the  materials  are  thus  prepared,  they  are  put  into 
a smooth,  steel  mould  and  subjected  to  a pressure  of  one 
hundred  tons  or  more.  The  blocks  thus  formed  are  then 
carefully  laid  away,  and  exposed  to  the  action  of  the  atmos- 
phere, when  they  gradually  harden,  and  in  time  become  as 
solid  as  granite.  The  blocks  made  in  Mr.  Foster’s  presses 
are  ten  inches  long,  five  inches  wide,  and  four  inches  thick, 
with  a hollow  place  in  the  middle  seven  inches  in  length  and 
one  and  one-fourth  in  width,  for  dead  air.  The  cost  of  man- 
ufacturing them  is  about  $7^-  per  thousand:  and  as  each 
block  is  just  three  times  the  size  of  common  brick,  they  are 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


101 


as  cheap  a building  material  as  common  brick  at  $2J  per 
thousand.  Masons  can  also  lay  them  up  three  times  as  fast 
as  common  brick,  and  they  require  less  than  one-third  the 
amount  of  mortar  requisite  for  brick.  They  are  of  a beau- 
tiful gray  color,  and  when  fully  carbonized  are  as  smooth  as 
a piece  of  glass. 

The  chemical  combination  by  which  these  blocks  are 
formed  is  as  follows:  the  sand  (silica)  being  mixed  with  lime, 
(protoxyd  of  calcium,)  the  silica  is  dissolved  or  crystallized  by 
the  absorption  of  carbonic  acid  gas  from  the  atmosphere. 
The  crystals  uniting  with  each  other,  form  carbonate  of  lime, 
(marble,)  which  is  the  common  process  in  all  ordinary  mortar. 
To  this  chemical  affinity,  is  superadded  the  heavy  pressure, 
which  brings  all  the  particles  into  close  contact,  and  thus  the 
attraction  of  cohesion  is  added  to  the  chemical  attraction,  it 
being*  a fundamental  law  of  attraction  that  it  increases  as  the 
square  of  the  distance  between  bodies  diminishes.  Hence, 
twice  the  number  of  particles  compressed  into  a given  space, 
will  increase  the  attraction  four  fold,  and  vice  versa. 

By  this  process  a real  stone  is  formed,  capable  of  lasting 
for  ages.  A block  of  this  description,  ten  months  old,  sent 
to  the  Smithsonian  Institute  at  Washington,  withstood  a 
pressure  of  5,500  pounds  to  the  square  inch,  the  experiment 
being  made  with  cubes  of  li  inches  on  each  side. 


102 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BTJILDEK. 


2.  WOODS  ARTIFICIAL  STONE. 

This  is  a composition  made  of  sand,  gypsum,  and  blood, 
in  the  proportions  of  50  per  cent,  of  the  first,  25  per  cent,  of 
the  second,  and  25  per  cent,  of  the  last.  The  mode  of  pre- 
paring  it  is  as  follows : first,  the  sand  and  gypsum  are  mixed 
together  in  their  anhydrous  (dry)  state,  as  intimately  as  pos- 
sible. The  blood  is  then  added,  and  the  whole  mass  mixed 
till  it  becomes  a thick  paste,  when  it  is  either  put  into  moulds 
or  worked  with  the  hand,  until  the  desired  shape  is  obtained. 
The  composition  gradually  hardens,  and  becomes  in  time,  a 
stone  of  a beautiful  pink  color.  By  coating  the  mass  over 
when  moulded  with  fine  sand  or  pulverized  marble,'  any  de- 
sired color  may  be  given,  and  it  may  be  made  to  represent  gran- 
ite, or  the  different  kinds  of  marble. 

The  chemical  principles  on  which  these  ingredients  unite 
together  to  form  a hard  substance,  are  the  well  known  power 
of  resolidification,  possessed  by  gypsum  (sulphate  of  lime,) 
when  in  its  anhydrous  state,—- the  lost  water  of  composition 
being  regained  from  the  serum  in  the  blood.  The  pyrates 
of  iron  in  the  blood  uniting  with  the  silica,  also  tend  to  make 
the  mass  become  harder— -at  all  events,  the  composition  be- 
comes sufficiently  solid  to  use  as  stone,  and  from  the  experi- 
ments already  made,  will  prove  nearly  as  durable. 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


103 


8.  HEDLEY’S  MARBLEIZED  GRANITE. 

This  is,  strictly  speaking,  an  improvement  upon  Foster’s  ar- 
tificial granite,  as  it  is  designed  to  be  used  with  his.  The 
mode  of  preparing  it  is  as  follows,  viz : take  good,  clean 
pieces  of  marble,  (the  hardest  kind  being  the  best,)  and  pul- 
verize them  till  they  are  about  as  fine  as  ordinary  sand ; mix 
them  with  lime,  in  the  same  way  and  same  proportions  as  the 
sand  and  lime  are  prepared  to  make  Foster’s  granite;  then 
put  a thin  lamina  of  the  composition  in  the  mould,  on  the  side 
which  it  is  desired  to  plate,  and  fill  the  balance  with  the  sand 
and  lime,  as  described  in  making  Foster’s  granite.  The 
whole  is  then  pressed  together,  and  forms  one  solid  mass,  with 
an  exterior  of  marble  and  an  interior  of  granite.  The  blocks, 
when  taken  from  the  press,  look  like  pieces  of  bride-cake 
frosted  with  sugar ; as  the  granite  slowly  hardens  by  the  ab- 
sorption of  carbonic  acid  gas  from  the  atmosphere,  the  mar- 
ble carbonizes  with  it,  and  becomes,  in  time,  a block  of  granite 
plated  with  marble. 

The  chemical  principles  on  which  the  marble  re-unites  to 
form  a solid  mass,  are  as  follows,  viz : marble  is  pure  carbo- 
nate of  lime,  the  metallic  base  of  which  is  calcium.  Lime  is 
the  same,  with  the  carbonic  acid  driven  off  by  heat,  until 
nothing  but  the  oxyd  remains ; and  mortar,  we  know,  acts  as 
a cement,  by  the  slow  formation  of  carbonate  of  lime,  (mar- 
ble ;)  thence,  mixing  the  burnt  and  unburnt  marble  together 
in  proper  proportions,  the  burnt  marble  re-absorbs  the 


104 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


carbonic  acid  gas  from  tlie  atmosphere,  and  recrystallizes  with 
the  unburnt  into  marble.  The  whole  process  is  as  plain  and 
simple  as  the  re-melting  and  moulding  of  cast  iron,  and  the 
marble  thus  formed  will  be  as  strong  and  durable  as  that 
taken  direct  from  the  quarry,  and  will  receive  as  high  a 
polish. 

The  coat  of  marble  thus  plated  on  the  blocks  of  granite, 
^will  never  separate  or  cleave  off,  as  the  same  chemical  affinity 
acts  on  both . ingredients : the  particles  of  silica  and  carbo- 
nate of  lime  becoming  one  homogeneous  mass,  by  the  action 
of  the  common  solvent,  oxyd  of  calcium . 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


105 


RECIPROCATING 

FURNACE  AND  REFRIGERATOR. 

Among  the  most  desirable  objects  to  be  obtained  in  the 
erection  of  a dwelling-house  is  a constant  supply  of  pure 
and  wholesome  air.  This  is,  in  reality,  if  possible,  of  more 
paramount  importance  than  any  other,  as  the  vital  fluid  is 
constantly  passing  into  and  out  of  the  lungs,  not  by  day  only, 
but  also  through  the  hours  of  night.  Those  who  have  suf- 
fered from  the  arid  companionship  of  that  American  demon, 
(as  Dickens  calls  it,)  a red-hot  stove,  will  at  once  appreciate 
the  importance  of  my  remarks.  Science  has,  however,  at 
last  come  to  the  relief  of  the  sufferers,  and  by  a proper  ar- 
rangement, a pure,  soft,  and  bland  atmosphere  can  be  main- 
tained through  the  whole  year,  at  a less  expense  than  it 
would  take  to  heat  a suite  of  rooms  by  the  old  exploded 
methods  of  open  fireplaces  and  close  stoves.  Besides,  no 
provision  is  made  to  cool  the  rooms  in  summer  during  the 
hot  weather — -a  thing  of  quite  as  much  importance  as  keep- 
ing them  warm  in  winter.  My  plan  for  warming  in  winter 
and  cooling  in  summer  may  be  carried  on  by  the  same  appa- 
ratus, and  the  most  equable  temperature  secured.  The 
principle  I would  apply  is  the  well  known  philosophical  law 
of  temperature,  viz : that  warm  air  ascends  and  cold  air  de- 
scends. For  this  purpose  I would  construct  a furnace  in 
every  cellar,  surrounded  with  an  air-chamber,  with  a current 
of  water  circulating  through  it  to  prevent  its  becoming  too 
dry.  The  air  thus  purified  and  warmed  I would  convey  to 


106 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


every  room  in  tlie  house  it  was  desirable  to  warm,  by  tubes 
leading*  to  a refrigerator  in  tlie  attic.  These  tubes  I would 
close  in  the  middle,  opposite  each  room,  with  an  opening  both 
above  and  below  it.  Supposing  it  is  winter:  I would  unfasten 
the  lower  opening  and  admit  the  warm  air  from  the  chamber 
in  the  cellar  till  the  room  was  of  an  agreeable  warmth.  In 
summer  I would  close  the  lower  opening  and  open  the  upper 
one.  In  the  refrigerator  in  the  garret  I would  place  a quan- 
tity of  ice  daily,  the  cool  air  from  which  descending  down  the 
tubes,  would  enter  the  rooms  and  keep  them  at  any  requisite 
temperature.  Thus,  in  the  warmest  days  in  summer,  a re- 
freshing coolness  can  be  maintained  at  the  daily  expense  of 
a little  ice — the  furnace  in  the  cellar  and  the  refrigerator  in 
the  attic  reciprocating  with  each  other.  The  cost  of  the 
whole  apparatus  would  not  exceed  half  the  amount  required 
to  furnish  the  building  with  the  necessary  stoves  and  fire- 
places ; and  the  saving  of  wood  annually  would  be  an  impor- 
tant item  in  the  current  expenses  of  every  family. 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


107 


CHIMNEY  SHAFTS. 

This  crowning  feature  of  all  architectural  designs,  whether 
plain  or  enriched,  should  be  in  perfect  keeping  with  the  main 
building,  being,  in  fact,  the  finish  to  the  whole.  It  would  be 
well,  therefore,  to  pay  more  attention  to  the  design  and  finish 
of  the  chimney-shaft.  For  the  purpose  of  aiding  the  evi- 
dently growing  taste  for  purity  of  design,  it  would  be  well, 
therefore,  to  have  a special  manufactory  of  such  in  every 
large  city.  Foundries  might  execute  cast-iron  shafts  moulded 
in  every  style  of  finish  required  by  the  builder,  and  the  arti- 
ficial stone  of  which  we  have  just  spoken  might  be  moulded 
for  this  purpose  with  beautiful  effect.  For  instance:  they 
might  be  cast  in  blocks  of  four  inches  high  each,  and  made 
the  whole  size  of  the  required  section,  having  the  flue-hole 
cast  in  them.  Each  of  these  blocks  might  be  different  in  tint 
from  the  other,  thus  making  up  a very  picturesque  effect. 

It  should  not  be  lost  sight  of  that  smoothness  of  the  inte- 
rior of  the  flue  is  positively  requisite  to  prevent  the  accumu- 
lation of  soot. 

In  concluding  these  few  remarks  on  chimney-shafts,  we 
would  here  urge  the  propriety  of  getting  rid  of  those  abomi- 
nations to  the  eye,  namely,  iron  or  wooden  stays.  They  in- 
variably convey  the  idea  of  insecurity,  and  are  always  in  the 
way.  If  the  chimney  has,  unfortunately,  been  badly  built, 
or  necessarily  been  carried  very  high,  it  would  be  a desirable 
relief  to  have  those  supporters  ornamental,  and  their  real 
business  kept  out  of  sight  as  much  as  possible.  This  arrange- 


108 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


ment  must,  however,  be  left  to  the  taste  and  ingenuity  of  the 
builder,  whose  interest  is  much  concerned  in  the  matter. 
Our  decided  opinion  is  that  if  a chimney  be  well  built,  there 
should  be  no  insecurity,  and  therefore  nothing  need  be  used 
which  can  tend  to  convey  the  idea  thereof. 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


109 


CUPOLAS,  OR  LANTERNS. 

Nothing  can  be  prettier  than  the  effect,  internal  as  well 
as  external,  produced  by  the  addition  of  lanterns  to  cottages. 
The  vestibule  or  inner  hall  might  be  lighted  in  this  way,  and 
the  principal  room  might,  by  this  aid,  be  placed  in  the  middle 
of  the  house,  and  be  thus  made  warmer  in  winter,  as  having 
its  sides  removed  from  the  effect  of  winds. 

Great  care  should  be  taken,  however,  to  secure  the  lantern, 
at  its  junction  with  the  roof,  against  the  admission  of  wet; 
and  for  this  it  should  be  covered  at  its  base  with  lead  flash 
ings,  or,  cheaper  still,  with  tarred  brown  paper,  on  which 
chalk  and  sand  are  plentifully  thrown. 

The  room  under  this  lantern  or  cupola  should  have  a win- 
dow-frame (circular,  or  of  whatever  form  most  pleases  those 
concerned,)  filled  with  stained  glass,  to  act  as  a borrowed 
light,  and  be  set  in  the  ceiling  of  said  room.  A beautiful 
effect  of  colored  light  is  thus  produced,  and  the  possibility 
of  wet  or  draught  is  effectually  obviated. 


110 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDEK. 


INTERIOR  DECORATION. 

Although  it  has,  for  half  a century,  been  customary  to 
omit  what  were  once  called  sur-bases  in  rooms,  that  is,  a 
moulded  band  running  parallel  with  the  base  or  wash  board, 
and  some  two  feet  above  it,  we  would  most  strongly  recom- 
mend their  being  introduced  once  more,  if  it  were  for  nothing 
but  their  actual  utility,  at  even  a sacrifice  of  appearance. 
Housewives  will  surely  bear  us  out  in  this  opinion  when  they 
consider  how  destructive  to  walls  are  the  effects  of  chair- 
backs,  or,  worse  still,  of  the  heads  of  gentlemen  who  find  a 
luxury  in  assuming  an  inclined  posture  of  the  body  by  tip- 
ping back  their  chairs.  Boom-papering  will  always  be  found 
to  have  had  more  hard  usage  at  the  one  point  just  indicated 
than  at  any  other  in  the  whole  height  of  the  room. 

These  sur-bases  might  be  elegantly  moulded,  and  should 
always  be  two  and  a half  inches  projection  from  the  face  of 
the  wall.  It  is  unnecessary  to  say  more  on  this  subject,  as 
the  utility  of  the  thing  must  be  evident  to  all. 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


Ill 


WINDOW  SEATS. 

As  convenience,  as  well  as  economy  of  space,  is  most  de- 
sirable in  small  cottages,  and  the  smaller  the  more  desirable, 
we  would  enforce  the  necessity  of  boxing  the  bottoms  of 
window  recesses,  so  as  to  form  alike  a locker  and  a seat.  It 
is  obvious  that  such  a fixture  to  each  window  would  be  of 
manifest  advantage,  and  we  have  no  doubt  that  the  hint  will 
prove  highly  acceptable.  In  thick  walls  it  would  come  in 
very  well,  and  be  very  appropriate  in  the  finish  of  a room, 
as,  when  handsomely  cushioned,  a settee  is  presented,  having 
a low  back,  which,  in  the  case  of  French  windows,  might 
open  in  the  center,  to  accord  with  the  opening  of  such  win- 
dow. It  is  in  such  matters  as  these  that  true  economy  is  to 
be  found;  and  comfort  is  in  such  things  more  surely  found 
than,  probably,  in  many  others. 


112 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


PIER  GLASSES. 

There  is  nothing  more  elegant  than  a well  placed  mirror 
or  pier  glass,  and  there  is  nothing  which  could  be  more  ap- 
propriately provided  for,  in  the  construction  of  a house,  than 
such  necessary  articles  of  furniture.  They  should  never  be 
movable,  but  in  all  cases  fixtures. 

Let  the  wall  be  prepared  to  receive  a glass,  and  let  the 
plaster  moulding,  similar  to  that  of  the  ceiling,  be  set  around 
it,  and  handsomely  gilt.  There  can  then  be  no  accumulation 
of  cobwebs,  or  other  filth,  behind  them,  and  they  look  to  be, 
what  they  actually  are,  a part  of  the  house  itself. 

Great  care  must  be  taken,  however,  in  the  formation  of 
that  portion  of  the  wall  to  be  occupied  by  the  glass,  that  it 
be  perfectly  free  from  any  chance  of  damp. 

Choice  family  pictures  might  likewise  be  set  in  as  tablets 
in  the  walls,  and  have  a charming  effect. 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


113 


FIREPLACES. 

No  part  of  a sitting-room  attracts  more  notice  than  the 
fireplace;  and  for  this  reason  it  shonld  be  well  designed  and 
well  executed.  If  not  of  marble,  it  might  be  of  marbleize 

“The  mantle  should  be  deep,  (not  less  than  ten  inches,)  well 
secured  in  the  chimney-breast,  and  consols  or  brackets  should 
be  provided  to  sustain,  or  at  least  give  such  an  appearance 
to  the  mantle,  as  nothing  looks  more  precarious  to  the  eye 
than  a heavy  load  without  any  visible  support. 

The  fireplace  should  project  into  the  room  at  least  one  loot 

and  a half.  , _ , 

We  very  much  favor  the  plan  of  placing  the  fireplace  m 

the  corner  of  the  room,  and  would  urge  such  an  arrangement 

on  our  readers,  for  reasons  before  given. 


114 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


OCTAGONAL  ROOMS. 

Where  a square  space  is  available,  and  the  extra  expense 
no  very  great  consideration,  an  octagonal  shape  might  be 
given  to  rooms,  turning  the  cut-off  angles  to  account  as 
niches,  cupboards,  or  the  like.  Such  shapes  for  rooms  in 
which  taste  is  required  are  most  desirable,  and  may  be  had 
at  a comparatively  trifling  cost.  As,  for  instance,  the  plas- 
tering cut  off  by  the  angles  would  about  balance  in  material 
the  extra  trouble  of  their  formation,  and  the  space  available, 
as  before  stated,  for  cupboards,  etc.,  would  amply  repay  the 
cost  of  pretty  latticed  doors,  or  any  other  device  called  for 
by  the  fancy  or  taste  of  the  owner. 

The  wall-painting  or  papering  should  be  done  in  panels — -a 
panel  to  each  side  of  the  octagon. 


economic  cottage  builder. 


115 


BATH  BOOM. 

No  well  arranged  cottage  of  the  better  class  should  be 
without  a bath-room  in  the  neighborhood  of  the  bed-h ham- 
bers,  for  the  special  benefit  of  invalids.  A tube  shoul 
a connection  between  it  and  the  kitchen  boiler ; another  tu 
should  connect  it  with  the  cistern  for  cold  water. 

In  this  room  a shower-bath  might  also  be  fixed. 

The  floor  of  the  bath-room  should  be  formed  of  composi- 
tion, polisted  on  the  surface,  and  the  bath  might  be  formed 
of  similar  material,  set  upon  an  oak  shell.  Zinc  is  muc 

used  for  the  lining  of  bathing-tubs. 

The  floor  of  the  bathing-room  should  have  an  inclination 
to  the  drain  fixed  for  carrying  off  waste  water,  located  at  one 
corner  of  the  room. 


116 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER, 


BED-CHAMBERS. 

In  the  plan  of  bedrooms  it  will  be  highly  necessary  to 
make  arrangements  for  the  reception  of  the  bedstead,  so  that 
no  window  or  door  shall  encroach  on  the  five  feet  by  seven 
necessary  for  such  purpose.  The  door  should  open  into  the 
corner  in  which  it  is  placed,  for  the  purpose  of  taking  up  no 
unnecessary  room.  It  should  open  back  against  the  wall. 

Warmth  and  ventilation  are  most  desirable,  and,  in  almost 
all  cases,  these  can  be  secured. 

Every  bedroom  ought  to  be  supplied  with  a corner  wash- 
stand,  formed  as  a shelf,  either  of  marble,  porcelain,  marble- 
ized  iron  or  slate,  with  basin,  escape-pipe,  and  supply,  the 
latter  conveying  clean  water  from  the  cistern,  and  the  former 
letting  off  dirty  water  to  the  sewer. 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


117 


THE  KITCHEN. 

Of  all  departments  in  a house,  not  one  demands  more  at- 
tention than  the  kitchen.  In  it  are  prepared  all  the  comforts 
which  are  intended  for  the  table,  and  therefore  all  things 
necessary  for  the  production  of  those  comforts  should  be 
found  there. 

A hot-hearth,  a brick  oven,  a large  boiler,  are  requisites, 
and  attached  to  the  kitchen  should  be  the  buttery,  the  wash- 
house, and  the  woodshed. 

There  should  be  a ready  and  constant  supply  of  hard  and 
soft  water,  which,  by  means  of  portable  hose,  might,  at  any 
time  desired,  be  introduced  to  any  part  of  the  kitchen  or 
wash-house. 

A sink-trap,  on  the  most  approved  principles,  should  be 
provided;  and,  in  fine,  every  aid  to  domestic  business;  for  it 
is  in  such  things  that  comfort  as  well  as  economy  exist,  the 
first  cost  being  the  saving  of  the  wages  of  years  of  help. 


118 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


PAINTING. 

As  an  actual  preservative  of  wood,  paint  is  a most  neces- 
sary article  in  house-building,  and  the  more  mineral,  the 
better  for  protection  against  the  action  of  the  weather. 

Yet  there  are  some  substitutes  which  may  be  found  econom- 
ical where  white  lead  is  dear.  These  substitutes  are  more 
numerous  than  actually  useful;  and  some  of  them  which  we 
find  in  receipt-books,  and  meet  with  annually  in  nearly  every 
paper  in  the  country,  are  not  alone  useless,  but  highly  inju- 
rious in  their  action. 

A very  simple  and  economical  receipt  for  a paint,  to  be 
used  externally  or  internally,  is  proportioned  thus : 


Fresh,  well  burned  lime, 1 lb. 

Glue,  melted, 3 oz. 

Salt, 3 oz. 


Slake  the  lime  in  three  times  its  bulk  of  water.  Pour  in 
the  melted  glue  while  the  water  is  warm,  and  shake  in  salt 
while  stirring  the  mixture  up.  Apply  this  paint,  while  warm, 
with  large  brushes,  and  stir  it  up  constantly,  to  prevent 
settlement. 

To  give  various  tints  to  this  whitewash  or  distemper,  it  is 
only  necessary  to  add  just  as  much  of  each  color  in  powder 
as  will  make  the  required  strength.  The  more  salt  put  in, 
the  brighter  the  surface  will  be. 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER, 


119 


PREPARATION  OF  TIMBER. 

When  timber  is  required  for  building  purposes,  it  would 
be  well  to  pay  attention  to  the  following  advice,  which  will 
be  certain  to  repay  ten  fold  for  the  extra  care  taken  in  fol- 
lowing it  out  to  the  very  letter: 

The  beginning  of  autumn,  or  as  it  is  fitly  called,  the  fall 
of  the  year,  is  the  most  judicious  time  for  cutting  down 
growing  timber,  to  suit  the  end  aimed  at  in  the  instruction 
now  about  to  be  given  to  the  builder,  because  the  sap  is 
in  the  trunk,  and  we  require  to  use  that  sap,  as  will  be  seen. 

When  the  tree  has  been  cut  down,  let  it  be  at  once  sawed 
into  the  lengths  and  forms  required  for  the  purposes  for 
which  it  may  be  intended;  and  when  this  has  been  done,  let 
there  be  a vat  or  cistern  one-third  filled  with  lime ; into  the 
vat  let  the  newly  cut  pieces  be  put,  and  covered  carefully 
up,  carefully  excluding  the  atmosphere.  When  the  pieces 
have  lain  twelve  hours,  remove  the  cover  of  the  vat,  take 
them  out  and  cover  up  the  vat  again,  the  lime  being  still  fit 
to  use,  for  mortar,  or  plaster. 

It  will  be  at  once  understood  that  the  sap  in  the  pieces 
will  slake  the  lime  coming  in  contact  with  it,  and  the  pores 
will  consequently  become  impregnated  with  the  lime,  and  the 
timber,  as  a matter  of  course,  be  rendered  impervious  to  the 
effects  of  atmosphere,  and,  in  fact,  durable  as  iron  or  stone. 

It  has  been  ascertained  that  seasoned  timber  can  be  so 


120 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


saturated  with  a ferruginous  solution  as  to  become  akin  to 
iron  itself.  The  process  is  nearly  as  follows  : 

Cut  down  your  trees  for  this  purpose  in  the  winter,  when 
the  trunk  is  sapless.  One  third  fill  a tank  with  iron  chips 
and  filings  and  water  strongly  impregnated  with  salt.  Hav- 
ing left  this  preparation  long  enough  to  give  a deep  iron 
color  to  the  water,  the  pieces  into  which  the  timber  has  been 
cut  are  then  to  be  launched  into  this  iron  bath  and  left  there 
until  thoroughly  soaked,  so  that  every  pore  has  imbibed  its 
full  quantity  of  the  solution ; when  the  pieces  may  be  taken 
out  and  applied  to  their  respective  purposes. 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


121 


THE  DKY  ROT. 

What  is  called  the  dry  rot  in  timber  is  a disease  formed 
by  the  generation  of  small  minute  insects,  which  eat  away  the 
core  of  the  timber,  and  leave  the  shell  or  outside  perfectly 
sound,  so  as  to  deceive  any  eye  into  the  belief  of  the  entire 
being  sound. 

When  timber  is  painted  before  it  is  dry  to  the  core,  the 
sap,  being  unable  to  have  the  assistance  of  the  atmosphere 
to  dry  it  up,  becomes  in  itself  a generator  of  the  insect  just 
alluded  to,  and  thus  revenges  itself  on  its  jailor,  the  paint,  by 
eating  itself  away,  until  finally  the  beam,  or  whatever  it  may 
be,  crumbles  into  dust,  while  appearing  to  be  in  soundest 
health. 

This  insidious  disease  may  well  be  called  timber  consumption; 
for  its  effects  are  surely  the  same  as  those  which  crush  the 
human  frame  in  the  midst  of  its  youth. 


122 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


THE  USE  OF  TOOLS. 

No  cottage,  whether  in  town  or  country,  should  be  without 
a tool-chest,  however  small.  In  the  country  especially,  where 
a carpenter  is  far  from  the  spot,  and  the  man  of  the  house 
has  some  spare  time  on  a rainy  day  in  summer,  or  in  the  idle 
time  of  winter,  what  a number  of  small,  yet  highly  useful 
jobs  could  be  done,  even  roughly,  about  the  premises. 

Boys  should  be  habituated  to  the  use  of  carpenter  tools, 
and  even  to  the  use  of  the  trowel.  Here  will  be  a source  of 
independence  in  a family,  the  value  of  which  is  worthy  of  all 
consideration. 

Let  the  following  list,  at  least,  find  a place  where  true 
economy  is  esteemed  a virtue : two  hand-saws ; three  chisels ; 
(inch,  half-inch,  and  quarter-inch;)  three  planes;  (jack, 
smoothing,  and  jointer;)  one  gimlet;  one  screw-driver;  one 
bit  and  brace;  one  mallet;  two  hammers;  one  glue  pot. 
These,  together,  with  a keg  of  assorted  nails,  a box  of 
screws,  and  a supply  of  glue,  as  also  a keg  of  white  lead,  a 
couple  of  pounds  of  lamp-black,  ochre,  &c.,  and  a half- 
dozen  different  sized  paint-brushes  will  give  a man  the 
means  of  making  himself  useful  about  the  house. 

To  the  above  we  should  add  a whitewash  brush  or  two. 

How  much  better  off  would  the  farmer  be  if  he  had  the 
tools  at  hand  and  could  mend  a gate  or  make  a new  one. 
How  much  more  pleasing  to  himself  and  his  neigbors  would 
be  the  occasional  addition  to  his  dwelling  and  outhouses  of 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


123 


some  little  ornaments,  such  as  hood-moldings  over  doors  and 
windows,  cornices,  trellised  porches,  and  an  hundred  other 
devices  to  embellish  his  house.  How  satisfactory  to  his 
thrifty  wife  to  have  a compact  larder,  pantry  or  clothes-closet. 
How  gladdening  to  his  little  ones  to  have  a liand-cart  or  a sled 
to  frolic  with  — and  all  these  desirable  things  all  dependent 
on  the  possession  of  a small  collection  of  tools.  Who,  then, 
would  be  without  a thing  so  absolutely  necessary  to  a 
household’s  happiness? 


124 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


A SUGGESTION. 

As  in  our  crowded  cities  lumber  is  necessarily  dear,  and 
yet  wooden  cottages  most  desirable,  perhaps  it  might  not  be 
altogether  out  of  place  in  the  closing  pages  of  this  little 
treatise,  to  suggest  the  practicability  of  a scheme  which 
might  be  highly  useful  to  the  community  at  large,  as  well  as 
to  private  cottage-builders  in  particular. 

It  is  to  establish  saw-mills  and  planing  machines  in  thickly 
timbered  localities  sufficiently  near  to  water  or  rail-road 
carriage,  where  all  the  parts  of  a complete  building  could  be 
worked  up  and  carried  piece-meal  to  market,  every  joint 
appropriately  numbered  and  all  got  ready  for  setting  up  in 
any  locality. 

That  such  a scheme  would  pay,  is  as  certain  as  that  it 
would  prove  a blessing  to  numbers  who  crave  a home  within 
the  limits  of  their  means. 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


125 


CONCLUDING  REMARKS. 

Haying  now  touched  upon  every  subject  connected  with 
cottage-building,  we  will  conclude  with  a little  advice  to  the 
builder. 

Let  no  idea  of  present  saving  induce  you  to  use  poor  ma- 
terial because  it  is  cheap.  In  a short  time  it  will  prove  to 
be  the  very  dearest  material  that  could  have  been  used. 

Wet  your  nails  and  screws  with  water,  before  use,  if  you 
desire  them  to  hold  permanently,  as  the  rust  which  will  then 
come  upon  them  will  increase  their  tenacity. 

On  the  contrary,  if  you  desire  at  some  future  time  to  re- 
move them,  take  the  precaution  of  dipping  them,  previous  to 
using,  in  any  vegetable  oil. 

See  that  your  bricks  have  lain  in  water  twelve  hours  pre- 
vious to  working  them  into  your  wall,  as  then  any  lime  hap- 
pening to  be  in  them  will  swell  and  burst  the  brick,  which, 
if  happening  in  the  wall,  would  prove  highly  injurious. 

Finally  — Do  EVERYTHING  WELL,  AND  LEAVE  NOTHING 


UNDONE. 


126 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


A CARD  TO  BUILDERS. 

Such  persons  as  shall  desire  to  erect  one  or  other  of  the 
designs  presented  in  this  work,  or  any  of  the  economic  modes 
herein  described,  but  who  do  not  feel  perfectly  secure  in 
their  own  view  of  the  subject,  will  always  find  the  author 
ready  to  communicate  with  them  personally,  or  by  letter, 
giving  every  information  and  guaranteeing  complete  success 
in  every  case. 

A regular  apprenticeship  to  his  profession,  as  well  as  a 
critical  study  of  it  in  many  parts  of  Europe,  can  not  fail  of 
insuring  to  him  advantages  of  experience  and  observation, 
which  give  him  a right  to  rely  on  his  acquired  and  matured 
judgment. 


ECONOMIC  COTTAGE  BUILDER. 


127 


NOTICE. 

The  present  treatise  will  be  followed  by  one  on  Church 
and  School  Architecture,  as  adapted  by  taste,  allied 
with  economy,  to  the  wants  of  villages  and  small  country 
congregations. 

It  will  be  got  out  with  all  the  expedition  that  a due  re- 
gard to  perfection  will  admit  of. 


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(I . 


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